School Profile · Palmdale
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy posts low test scores — and scores are climbing 1.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
39221 22nd Street West, 93551·Palmdale Elementary·Palmdale·Grades 6-8·952 students·75% low-income·Magnet·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 947-3075·Website
Magnet program — specialized public school with themed curriculum. Enrollment via district lottery, not neighborhood-based.
Scope Score
20
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,547 statewide · #8 of 11 in Palmdale Elementary
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy scores 20 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 10th percentile of 1,714 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 “19% proficient” and call it done. David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Palmdale, where three in four 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 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
19%
77%
Grade 6 · 23% proficient
21%
74%
Grade 7 · 26% proficient
8%
19%
73%
Grade 8 · 27% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
4.8%
State 17.3%
12.5pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
18.6%
State 39.5%
20.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+1.1pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
31.6%
State 19.1%
12.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
9.7%
State 4.2%
5.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.8%
State 17.7%
0.1pp 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
Elementary
▼
Middle
David G. Millen Law and Govern…Magnet
20/100
This school
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
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 46
Cottonwood Elementary
Westside Union Elementary · 0.5 mi
Solid
52/100
Palmdale Learning Plaza
Palmdale Elementary · 2.7 mi
Developing
46/100
Anaverde Hills
Westside Union Elementary · 2.2 mi
Developing
40/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Empowered Church International/ Learning Academy
E Ave J · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-6 · 25 students
10:1Private7.3 mi
Lancaster Baptist School
E Lancaster Blvd · Amish · Grades Pre-K-12 · 381 students
20:1Private9.4 mi
Grace Lutheran Christian School
W Newgrove St · Greek Orthodox · Grades Pre-K-8 · 124 students
13:1Private6.9 mi
Antelope Valley Adventist School
Fern Ave · Pentecostal · Grades Pre-K-8 · 61 students
15:1Private7.4 mi
Calvary Chapel Christian School
W Ave J · Brethren · Grades Pre-K-11 · 27 students
2:1Private6.6 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic69.2%
White4.8%
Asian1.4%
Black19.6%
Other4.9%
GenderFemale 50.0%Male 50.0%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
952
Near CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
75%
12pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$21,157
District avg: $15,361 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
17.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$58,752 – $131,333
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy in Palmdale, 21.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 6.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (10.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (24.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 24.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 737 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+23.4pp
55.0% vs 31.6% overall · n=40
Suspension · Homeless+10.8pp
20.5% vs 9.7% overall · n=44
ELA · English Learner−24.2pp
1.1% vs 25.3% overall · n=111
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−5.8pp
0.0% vs 5.8% overall · n=146
Math · English Learner−12.0pp
0.0% vs 12.0% overall · n=112
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−3.8pp
0.0% vs 3.8% overall · n=144
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income737 tested
ELA 21.5%·Math 10.1%· -6.3pp vs district
Hispanic655 tested
ELA 24.6%·Math 11.1%· -7.2pp vs district
Black173 tested
ELA 16.3%·Math 6.5%· -0.9pp 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 6.4pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +5.0pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$120K
$35K above CA median
Median Home Value
$585K
$74K below CA median
Bachelor's+
31%
4pp below 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
11.7 years avg experience
43 teachers · 16% first-year · 19% second-year
Teacher Credentials
83% fully credentialed
2.7% on intern/emergency permit
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 →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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 · 43%
4.8%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 37th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
18.6%
↓ vs CA 39.5% · 34th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+1.1pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
31.6%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 32th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
9.7%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 29th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.8%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 278 | 4% | 19% | 22% | 55% | 23% | −24 |
| Grade 7 | 299 | 5% | 21% | 25% | 49% | 25% | −22 |
| Grade 8 | 353 | 8% | 19% | 25% | 48% | 27% | −19 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 280 | 3% | 10% | 19% | 69% | 12% | −23 |
| Grade 7 | 299 | 5% | 9% | 20% | 66% | 14% | −20 |
| Grade 8 | 351 | 4% | 6% | 18% | 72% | 10% | −22 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 353 | 2% | 11% | 57% | 30% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 737 | 21.5% | −6 | −17 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 654 | 24.6% | −7 | −14 |
| Black/African American | 173 | 16.3% | −1 | −16 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy ← | — | 20 | 4.8% | 18.6% | +1.1 | 9.7% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1197 → #1208 → #1372 → #1558 → #1547
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 17 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy a good middle school?
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy has a Scope Score of 20 out of 100, placing it in the 10th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,547 statewide. 4.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.5 percentage points below the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 18.6% of students at David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 13.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.8% 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. 1,860 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy rank in California?
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy ranks #1,547 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 10th 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 David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy increases by 1.1 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 David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy?
31.6% of students at David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 9.7%. 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 David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy compare to other schools in Palmdale?
David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy scores 20/100 (10th 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 952 students. Use the schools in Palmdale page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy in Palmdale, 21.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 6.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (10.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (24.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 24.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 737 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.