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School Profile · La Quinta

Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Colonel Mitchell Paige posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 2.3pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

43-495 Palm Royale Drive, 92253 (opens in new tab)·Desert Sands Unified·La Quinta·Grades 6-8·439 students·84% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 238-9710·Website
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,894 statewide · #6 of 8 in Desert Sands Unified

Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 15th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

Most rating sites would stop at “21% proficient” and call it done. Colonel Mitchell Paige deserves a closer read. The school sits in La Quinta, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

8%
24%
68%
Grade 6 · 32% proficient
19%
76%
Grade 7 · 24% proficient
9%
24%
67%
Grade 8 · 33% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
5.4%
State 16.8%
11.4pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+2.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
20.6%
State 39.3%
18.7pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
32.0%
State 18.5%
13.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
11.8%
State 3.7%
8.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
21.3%
State 18.0%
3.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic69.5%
White18.2%
Asian3.0%
Black3.0%
Other6.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 84.0% (20pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
439
421 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,254
District avg: $13,985 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
21.3% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$63,775 – $132,451
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle in La Quinta, 26.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 8.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (27.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 346 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+13.9pp
45.9% vs 32.0% overall · n=74
Suspension · Homeless+11.7pp
23.5% vs 11.8% overall · n=17
ELA · English Learner−29.4pp
0.0% vs 29.4% overall · n=21
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−7.0pp
0.0% vs 7.0% overall · n=21
Math · Disabilities−9.7pp
2.2% vs 11.9% overall · n=39
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−3.9pp
0.0% vs 3.9% overall · n=39

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income348 tested
ELA 26.6%·Math 9.8%· -8.5pp vs district
Hispanic292 tested
ELA 27.6%·Math 8.2%· -8.2pp vs district
White76 tested
ELA 38.2%·Math 21.1%· -23.8pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 0.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -2.3pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 35%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$99K
$14K above CA median
Median Home Value
$662K
$3K above CA median
Bachelor's+
40%
5pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
10.9 years avg experience
27 teachers · 30% first-year · 7% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

Frequently asked questions

Is Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle a good middle school?
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 15th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,894 statewide. 5.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.4 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 20.6% of students at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.4% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 831 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle rank in California?
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle ranks #1,894 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 15th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle increases by 2.3 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle?
32.0% of students at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 11.8%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle compare to other schools in La Quinta?
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle scores 27/100 (15th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 439 students. Use the schools in La Quinta page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle in La Quinta, 26.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 8.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (27.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 346 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
5.4%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 37th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+2.3pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 45th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
20.6%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 35th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
32.0%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 31th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
11.8%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 17th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
21.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 50th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61458%24%28%40%32%−15
Grade 71075%19%25%51%23%−24
Grade 81639%24%25%43%33%−14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61443%6%24%67%9%−26
Grade 71085%9%17%69%14%−20
Grade 81644%9%17%70%13%−19
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111652%19%68%11%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged34626.6%−8−12
Hispanic/Latino29027.6%−8−11
White7638.2%−24−24
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle ←275.4%20.6%+2.311.8%
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies1.6 mi4416.3%42.3%+4.31.8%
Desert Ridge Academy2.8 mi289.6%26.3%−10.34.9%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
28%27%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1583 → #1641 → #1371 → #2180 → #1894
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 12 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue