Math
22%Grades 6 & 8 · Proficient or Advanced
Public middle school
Denman (James) Middle
No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
30% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 22% in math. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
SchoolScope archetype
Building Momentum
What this means for your family
This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.
How archetypes are assigned →Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
Phone(415) 469-4535
Websitesfusd.edu (opens in new tab)
DistrictSan Francisco Unified
PrincipalJenny Ujiie
Grades6-8
Enrollment807 students
English
30%Grades 6 & 8 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
807Total enrollment
Chronic absence
31%Students absent 10% or more of school days
What are you trying to decide?
The overall score is a starting point.
Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.
View school performance →Start with your child’s daily experience.
Explore teaching, coursework and student-group results. A schoolwide average cannot predict an individual experience.
Explore student experience →Confirm the enrollment route.
Check the address, grade and enrollment requirements directly with the district or school.
Check attendance and enrollment →Compare the options you can access.
Use comparable evidence alongside entry requirements, cost and location.
Compare nearby schools →Academic performance
What do the results tell us?
2025 results · Grades 6 & 8 · weighted by students tested within each subject.
Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →
Share at Proficient or Advanced
● Math┄ English
Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.
Exact annual results
| Year | Math | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 27% | 40% |
| 2022 | 24% | 41% |
| 2023 | 22% | 35% |
| 2024 | 20% | 31% |
| 2025 | 22% | 30% |
Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.
How achievement is distributed
AdvancedStandard Exceeded
9%ProficientStandard Met
13%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
22%MinimalStandard Not Met
56%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
10%ProficientStandard Met
21%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
25%MinimalStandard Not Met
45%Achievement-level percentages are not percentiles. “Developing” here is a test achievement level, separate from the SchoolScope performance band with the same name.
Annual results and the full academic record
Is it getting better · CAASPP 2019 to 2025
Slipped from the 53rd to the 27th percentile since 2019.
Most rating sites would stop at “28% proficient” and call it done. Denman (James) deserves a closer read. Three in five of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch (California: 64%) — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
727 tested · 3 of 3 grades published · cohort of 237 tracked
Denman (James) Middle scores 26 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 27th percentile of 2,177 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 28% meet the standard today, versus 37% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.
Percentile among 2,177 middle schools statewide
ELAOrange(Maintained)MathYellow(Increased)
ShowHide the by-grade tables, year by year
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 33% | 35% | 31% | 32% | 29% |
| Grade 7 | 48% | 37% | 43% | 31% | 37% |
| Grade 8 | 48% | 47% | 40% | 30% | 31% |
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 22% | 21% | 20% | 19% | 21% |
| Grade 7 | 38% | 25% | 23% | 26% | 28% |
| Grade 8 | 33% | 28% | 25% | 22% | 23% |
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
One in four of students here meet the standard. One in ten clear it by a lot.
ELA32% met or exceeded
Exceeded 12%Met 21%Nearly Met 23%Not Met 45%
Math24% met or exceeded
Exceeded 11%Met 13%Nearly Met 23%Not Met 53%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California middle schools · average17% exceeded · 40% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8) | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 26 | 11% | 28% | Weak · p37 | 30.9% | 5.4% |
| CA average · Middle School | 39 | 17% | 40% | Average · p50 | 18.1% | 3.6% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope2639
% Exceeded11%17%
% Met+28%40%
Growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8)Weak · p37Average · p50
Absence30.9%18.1%
Suspension5.4%3.6%
California’s growth results and student groups
State growth model · CDE growth model 2024–25
Our growth read and California's own model disagree here — the 37th percentile against the state's 21st.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
California runs its own growth model, following individual children in grades 4 through 8 rather than comparing school-wide averages the way we do — and here the two measures disagree. Ours puts this school around the 37th percentile of California middle schools; the state's puts it around the 21st in reading and math together — a harder read than ours. We are not going to pretend one of those is the answer. Neither measure sees an individual child's classroom, and a disagreement this size is worth asking the principal about directly.
— pts vs expected is scale-score points above or below what California's model predicted for these same children from their own prior-year scores. It is not a percentage and not a percent of anything. A typical California middle school lands at −1 in reading, and the middle half of them fall between −8 and +6 — the spread is wide, so read the rank, not the sign. CDE blends two consecutive years into each published figure, so adjacent years share input data and no year-over-year trend can honestly be drawn from them. It covers grades 4-8 only, and it is not part of the Scope Score — we assessed it and left it out: it tracks school demographics roughly three times as strongly as our own growth measure does, and one published year is not enough to test how stable it is.
The returning cohort, two years on
ELA · 2023 · Grade 6
10%
exceeded standard · 31% met or exceeded
ELA · 2025 · Grade 8
10%
exceeded standard · 31% met or exceeded
n = 237
returning cohort
returning cohort
Percent exceeded, ELA only. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different metric — mean scale-score change across ELA and Math; California's own matched-student model is below.
Both measures, each ranked in its own field
Our growth measurereturning cohort, G6→G8SchoolScope growth measure: 37th percentile among California middle schools.37th pctile
State model · readingmatched students, grades 4-8California growth model, reading: −13 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, 12th percentile of 7,519 reported schools.12th pctile · −13 pts
State model · mathmatched students, grades 4-8California growth model, math: −6 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, 30th percentile of 7,518 reported schools.30th pctile · −6 pts
this school| the tick is the middle of the California field
Students & opportunity
Who shares in the school’s results?
Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25
Low-income students here meet the ELA standard behind the same group statewide.
At Denman (James) Middle in San Francisco, 22.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Denman (James) Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 16.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (15.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 455 students tested.
Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 16 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 28% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 28%, district —, state 40%28%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 20%, district 36%, state 32%20% · −8 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 12%, district 22%, state 32%12% · −16 vs school
MaleMale: this school 26%, district 49%, state 42%26% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 50%, state 44%30% · +2 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 10%, state 11%3% · −25 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 9%, district 19%, state 15%9% · −19 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 51%, district 69%, state 72%51% · +23 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 40%, district 48%, state 65%40% · +12 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 15%, district 22%, state 22%15% · −13 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 66%, district 71%, state 56%66% · +38 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 43%, district 63%, state 56%43% · +14 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 4%, district 15%, state 26%4% · −24 vs school
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide Student-group results by grade
Student-group results by grade
Results compare different grade groups in the same year, relative to the lowest tested grade. They do not track the same children over time. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 5.2pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.2pp.
ShowHide California's growth model by student group
The state's growth model, by student group
California follows these children individually and predicts each one's score from their own prior year. Each row is read against the same group at a typical California middle school — not against zero, and not against this school's all-students figure, because the state's expectation already differs by group.
Reading
Low-income students413 studentsLow-income students, reading: −16 scale-score points versus expectation, against −3 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 413 students.−16 pts · −13 vs typical
Hispanic or Latino students349 studentsHispanic or Latino students, reading: −22 scale-score points versus expectation, against −2 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 349 students.−22 pts · −20 vs typical
English Learner348 studentsEnglish Learner, reading: −23 scale-score points versus expectation, against −5 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 348 students.−23 pts · −18 vs typical
English Only251 studentsEnglish Only, reading: 0 scale-score points versus expectation, against 0 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 251 students.0 pts · 0 vs typical
Recently reclassified199 studentsRecently reclassified, reading: −18 scale-score points versus expectation, against +2 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 199 students.−18 pts · −20 vs typical
Math
Low-income students418 studentsLow-income students, math: −7 scale-score points versus expectation, against −5 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 418 students.−7 pts · −2 vs typical
Hispanic or Latino students353 studentsHispanic or Latino students, math: −11 scale-score points versus expectation, against −6 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 353 students.−11 pts · −5 vs typical
English Learner352 studentsEnglish Learner, math: −9 scale-score points versus expectation, against −3 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 352 students.−9 pts · −6 vs typical
English Only249 studentsEnglish Only, math: −2 scale-score points versus expectation, against −3 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 249 students.−2 pts · +1 vs typical
Recently reclassified202 studentsRecently reclassified, math: −4 scale-score points versus expectation, against −1 for the same group at a typical California middle school, 202 students.−4 pts · −3 vs typical
this school typical California middle school, same group| the centre tick is 0 = as predicted
— 1 more group is reported here with between 11 and 29 students. We hold those back on purpose: at that size the figure swings about 17 points on its own, and a quarter of such groups land past the state's top or bottom cut point by chance alone. They are listed with their student counts in the data appendix. — A group not listed at all had fewer than 11 students with a growth score, so California published nothing for it here. That is a privacy protection, not a judgment about those students. — Context only. None of this enters the Scope Score.
The daily experience
What is it like to be a student here?
Students per teacher
Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.
Teacher experience
Average teacher experience in the published staffing record. It does not measure individual teacher effectiveness.
Chronically absent
The share of students absent for at least 10% of their enrolled school days. Attendance reflects both school and out-of-school circumstances.
The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25
About 18 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Students per teacher18 · district 22
Teaching staff48 teachers
Avg. experience5.6 years
Fully credentialed77%
First-year teachers29%
PrincipalJenny Ujiie
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$69,525 – $131,654
Principal salary$150,963 – $163,648
Superintendent salary$328,879
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here miss more school, and get suspended more, than the state average.
30.9% of students miss a month or more of school, versus 18.1% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — worth asking about on a tour.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 30.9%, district 25.8%, state 18.1%30.9% · +12.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.4%, district —, state 3.6%5.4% · +1.7pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
ShowHide attendance by student group and by grade
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–630.8%
Grades 7–831.4%
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25
It spends $24,003 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
$267 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.
The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,003, CA average $14,491$24,003 · spent at this school
Federal share$267 per student
District current expense · FY 2024–25$26,762 per student
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 60%Instruction support 12%Student services 15%Administration 6%Buildings & maintenance 7%Other 1%
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$17,416 per pupil
2019$17,139 per pupil
2018$17,228 per pupil
2017$13,640 per pupil
2016$11,532 per pupil
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
Three in five of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Worth knowing
On the state's science test (CAST), 17% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.
Hispanic or Latino53.3% · district 36.7% · CA 56.1%
White7.6% · district 13.1% · CA 19.9%
Asian14.3% · district 27.7% · CA 10.2%
Black4.8% · district 7.3% · CA 4.8%
Other20.1% · district 15.1% · CA 9.0%
Free or reduced lunch64.8% · CA 64%
Median income$135K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.17M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+37% · CA 35%
ZIP population79,277
Median age43 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Culture & philosophy
What is the school’s approach?
School-stated approach · questions for your visit
Look beyond the brochure
A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.
Read the school’s own website ↗Family voices
What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?
Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”
Educator voices
What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?
Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”
Compare nearby schools
What are the alternatives?
Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.
2025 · middle schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.
No nearby schools in this category are listed. The school being viewed stays visible for reference.
| School | Type | Performance band | Advanced | Proficient or Advanced | Distance | Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denman (James) Middle | Public | Developing | 11% | 28% | School being viewed | |
| Aptos Middle | Public | Strong | 28% | 55% | 1.4 mi | |
| Lipman Middle | Public | Strong | 31% | 60% | 3.2 mi | |
| Hoover (Herbert) Middle | Public | Strong | 25% | 55% | 2.2 mi |
More nearby public and private options
Your other options
Your other options
Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.
Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.
20 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
- District public
- Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
- Charter
- Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
- Private
- Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.
Moving & enrollment
Which schools could serve my child?
Check your address with the district
School location and nearby schools do not establish attendance eligibility. Confirm boundaries and permit requirements with San Francisco Unified.
District information →School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
Chin (John Yehall) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 63/100
Alamo ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 66/100
Alvarado ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 49/100
Argonne ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 59/100
Harte (Bret) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 11/100
Bryant ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 25/100
Cleveland ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 22/100
Sloat (Commodore) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 47/100
Lau (Gordon J.) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 59/100
Webster (Daniel) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 45/100
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 39/100
Taylor (Edward R.) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 34/100
El Dorado ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 11/100
Key (Francis Scott) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 63/100
McCoppin (Frank) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 45/100
Peabody (George) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 71/100
Moscone (George R.) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 23/100
Carver (George Washington) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 12/100
Glen Park ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 35/100
Grattan ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 64/100
Guadalupe ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 25/100
Chavez (Cesar) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 23/100
Hillcrest ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 16/100
Parker (Jean) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 43/100
Jefferson ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 47/100
Muir (John) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 37/100
Ortega (Jose) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 51/100
Serra (Junipero) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 17/100
Flynn (Leonard R.) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 33/100
Longfellow ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 29/100
McKinley ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 49/100
Miraloma ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 56/100
Monroe ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 43/100
New Traditions ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 65/100
Parks (Rosa) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 29/100
Redding ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 16/100
Stevenson (Robert Louis) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 71/100
Sanchez ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 17/100
Sheridan ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 23/100
Sherman ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 43/100
Malcolm X AcademyPublished boundary overlapScope Score 13/100
Spring Valley ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 27/100
King (Thomas Starr) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 59/100
Sunnyside ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 46/100
Sutro ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 56/100
Ulloa ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 57/100
Visitacion Valley ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 18/100
West Portal ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 46/100
Cobb (William L.) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 21/100
Sunset ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 71/100
Tenderloin CommunityPublished boundary overlapScope Score 18/100
Drew (Charles) College Preparatory AcademyPublished boundary overlapScope Score 23/100
Feinstein (Dianne) ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 45/100
Garfield ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 42/100
Lafayette ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 57/100
Yick Wo ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 51/100
Lee (Edwin and Anita) NewcomerAlternative · verify enrollment route
Huerta (Dolores) ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 37/100
Marshall ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 15/100
Mission Education CenterAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 11/100
Chinese Immersion School at DeAvilaAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 82/100
San Francisco Public MontessoriAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 30/100
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Marshall (Thurgood) HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 25/100
Lincoln (Abraham) HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 66/100
Balboa HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 60/100
Galileo HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 58/100
Washington (George) HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 68/100
Lowell HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 87/100
Mission HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 34/100
O'Connell (John) HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 29/100
Wallenberg (Raoul) Traditional HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 59/100
Burton (Phillip and Sala) Academic HighPublished boundary overlapScope Score 55/100
The road from this school ends at Marshall (Thurgood) High, which sent 5 graduates to UC campuses last fall and teaches 5 AP subjects. Those numbers describe past cohorts — a child starting here today would reach Marshall (Thurgood) High around 2031, and 6 years is a long time for a school to hold still, and by the state's 2023 count 57% of Marshall (Thurgood) High's graduates enrolled in college somewhere, UC or not.
5 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 5 AP subjects taught → full record on Marshall (Thurgood) High's page
Source: UC & College Board
Source: sabs_2016. Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.
Plan your next step
What should I do next?
Worth a school visit
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
- Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
- Ask which schools families here actually choose next — the zoned path is only the default.
- Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
- Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
- Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
- Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Denman (James) Middle a good middle school?
Denman (James) Middle has a Scope Score of 26 out of 100, placing it in the 27th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,597 statewide. 11.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.9 percentage points below the California average of 17.2%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (42%), met or exceeded (proficient) (23%), grade 6-to-8 growth (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 Denman (James) Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.2% of students at Denman (James) Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 11.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 16.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 11.3% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 1,460 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Denman (James) Middle rank in California?
Denman (James) Middle ranks #1,597 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 27th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), same-cohort growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8), 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 Denman (James) Middle getting better or worse?
SchoolScope follows the same cohort of students across grades rather than comparing two different grades in the same year. At Denman (James) Middle that cohort is 2023 G6 → 2025 G8, measured in SBAC scale-score points. Its gain ranks weak among California middle schools — roughly the 37th percentile, behind the typical school at this level. Read the ranking, not the raw point gain: scale scores rise with age, so nearly every school posts a positive number and only the relative position tells you anything. Growth is weighted at 20% in the middle Scope Score because it is the least demographically confounded signal available — it tracks change over time rather than the level students arrived at. See full methodology.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Denman (James) Middle?
30.9% of students at Denman (James) Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 5.4%. 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 Denman (James) Middle compare to other schools in San Francisco?
Denman (James) Middle scores 26/100 (27th 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 807 students. Use the schools in San Francisco page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Denman (James) Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Denman (James) Middle in San Francisco, 22.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Denman (James) Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 16.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (15.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 455 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.
What high school does Denman (James) Middle feed into?
By attendance boundary, Denman (James) Middle is zoned to Marshall (Thurgood) High, Lincoln (Abraham) High, and Balboa High. Scope Scores: Marshall (Thurgood) High 25, Lincoln (Abraham) High 66, Balboa High 60 out of 100. Boundaries come from the U.S. Department of Education's School Attendance Boundary Survey, a 2015-16 collection and the most recent national one — they are approximate and may since have changed. A boundary is also not a placement guarantee: magnet, charter, open-enrollment and inter-district transfer options mean students from one school often continue to several different ones. Confirm your address with the district before making an enrollment or housing decision. Data source: NCES School Attendance Boundary Survey, analyzed by SchoolScope.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.
Behind the evidence
Inspect the full record
Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.
How the Scope Score is calculated
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.
What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25
The 6 things our score weighs
The school's returning cohort — mostly, not exactly, the same kids two years on — gained 35 scale-score points across the span. Almost every school gains points, so we rank the gain against every other California school in this level.
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 11.3% | 17.2% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 28.2% | 40.0% | 23% |
| Growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8) | Weak | average | 20% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 30.9% | 18.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 19.7% | 18.0% | 5% |
Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built
A closer look at the evidence
Denman (James) Middle: reading the evidence
Denman (James) posts 28% meeting the standard and 11.3% exceeding it, against 40% and 17.2% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.
Explore the underlying data →Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
Denman (James) Middle is ranked #1,597 statewide · #20 of 27 in San Francisco Unified.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 11.3% | 17.2% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 28.2% | 40.0% | 23% |
| Growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8) | Weak | average | 20% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 30.9% | 18.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 19.7% | 18.0% | 5% |
- Exceeded standard
- ↓ vs CA 17.2% · index 44 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↓ vs CA 40.0% · index 41 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
- Growth (2023 G6 → 2025 G8)
- ↓ vs CA average · 37th pctile
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↓ vs CA 18.1% · index 33 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint · ▲ 2.6pp higher vs 2024
- Suspension rate
- ↓ vs CA 3.6% · index 43 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint · ▲ 0.3pp higher vs 2024
- EL proficiency (ELPAC)
- ↑ vs CA 18.0% · index 48 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 251 | 9% | 20% | 25% | 46% | 29% | −17 |
| Grade 7 | 245 | 16% | 21% | 20% | 43% | 37% | −11 |
| Grade 8 | 231 | 10% | 21% | 24% | 45% | 31% | −15 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 248 | 8% | 13% | 22% | 57% | 21% | −14 |
| Grade 7 | 242 | 14% | 14% | 25% | 47% | 28% | −6 |
| Grade 8 | 243 | 10% | 13% | 21% | 56% | 23% | −9 |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 241 | 7% | 10% | 58% | 24% |
CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 455 | 22.5% | −16 | −16 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 388 | 15.2% | −11 | −24 |
| English Learners | 186 | 2.7% | −5 | −8 |
03Nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = one school's returning cohort tracked across grades (mostly, not exactly, the same kids), in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Grade gap | Cohort growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denman (James) Middle ← | — | 26 | 11.3% | 28.2% | +2.5pp | +35 pts | 5.4% |
| Aptos Middle | 1.4 mi | 57 | 28.4% | 55.3% | +7.4pp | — | 3.8% |
| Lipman Middle | 3.2 mi | 52 | 31.0% | 60.4% | +3.4pp | — | 4.2% |
| Hoover (Herbert) Middle | 2.2 mi | 51 | 25.4% | 54.6% | +2.1pp | — | 3.8% |
| California average | — | 39 | 17.2% | 40.0% | +1.5pp | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp | Grade gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 37 | 53 | #926 | 17.7% | 36.9% | 11.9% | 6.6% | +13.5pp |
| 2022 | 31 | 48 | #1102 | 11.8% | 32.1% | 32.1% | 3.1% | +9.1pp |
| 2023 | 27 | 42 | #1237 | 10.6% | 30.3% | 32.6% | 7.5% | +7.0pp |
| 2024 | 26 | 26 | #1602 | 9.7% | 26.6% | 28.3% | 5.1% | +1.1pp |
| 2025 | 26 | 27 | #1597 | 11.3% | 28.2% | 30.9% | 5.4% | +2.5pp |
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 16 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
ShowHide table 05 — Climate by student group
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 11.2% | 33.3% | +22.1pp |
| Male | 12.5% | 29.2% | +16.7pp |
| Asian | 1.7% | 13.6% | +11.9pp |
| Black/African American | 37.1% | 66.0% | +28.9pp |
| Filipino | 5.1% | 17.9% | +12.8pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 14.2% | 35.8% | +21.6pp |
| Pacific Islander | 30.8% | — | — |
| Two or More Races | 9.7% | 28.8% | +19.1pp |
| White | 8.8% | 24.2% | +15.4pp |
| Students with Disabilities | 24.8% | 43.6% | +18.8pp |
| English Learners | 9.4% | 32.0% | +22.6pp |
| Foster Youth | 46.2% | — | — |
| Homeless | 19.6% | 35.1% | +15.5pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 14.9% | 33.1% | +18.2pp |
| All Students | 11.9% | 31.2% | +19.3pp |
06California growth model, by student group2025 · scale-score points vs the state's prediction · shown, never scored
ShowHide table 06 — California growth model, by student group
| Group | Reading | n | CDE band | Math | n | CDE band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | −13 | 656 | Moderate | −6 | 662 | Moderate |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | −16 | 413 | Moderate | −7 | 418 | Moderate |
| Hispanic or Latino | −22 | 349 | Minimal | −11 | 353 | Moderate |
| English Learner | −23 | 348 | Minimal | −9 | 352 | Moderate |
| English Only | 0 | 251 | not categorised | −2 | 249 | not categorised |
| Recently Reclassified Fluent-English Proficient Only | −18 | 199 | not categorised | −4 | 202 | not categorised |
| English Learners Only | −27 | 149 | not categorised | −16 | 150 | not categorised |
| Students with Disabilities | −30 | 107 | Minimal | 0 | 107 | Average |
| Asian | −13 | 97 | Moderate | +6 | 98 | Accelerated |
| Long-Term English Learner (grades 6-8 only) | −20 | 85 | Moderate | −13 | 85 | Moderate |
| Filipino | +3 | 81 | Average | −11 | 81 | Moderate |
| Homeless Youth | −11 | 55 | Moderate | +3 | 55 | Average |
| White | +4 | 54 | Average | +6 | 54 | Accelerated |
| Two or More Races | −1 | 40 | Average | −1 | 41 | Average |
| Black or African American | −1 | 21 | Average | +1 | 21 | Average |
Whole scale-score points above or below what CDE's model predicted for these same children from their own prior-year scores — not a percentage, not a percentile. Statewide a typical school lands near +1 with a spread of about 13 points either side, so read a figure against its group's own typical value, not against zero. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a growth score — published by CDE, held back from the narrative sections above because at that size the figure swings about 17 points on its own. “Not categorised” is CDE assigning no band — English Only, Recently Reclassified, and English Learners Only receive a value and no band, for every school in the state. It is not a missing number. Long-Term English Learner counts cover grades 6-8 only (CDE), so that row is not comparable to the All Students row. Most figures blend two consecutive years, so adjacent published years share input data and no trend line can honestly be drawn across them. A group absent from this table had fewer than 11 students with a growth score and was never published. Grades 4-8 only. None of this enters the Scope Score — it is more strongly correlated with school demographics than our own growth measure, and one published year is not enough to test its reliability.
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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,177 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-09-18
SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction