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Durham Intermediate · Durham

Durham Intermediate: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Durham Intermediate posts 48% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

9416 Putney Drive, 95938 (opens in new tab)·Durham Unified·Durham·Grades 6-8·233 students·40% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 895-4690·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4243
% Exceeded19%17%
% Met+48%39%
Growth-8.1+1.5
Absence19.2%18.5%
Suspension8.3%3.7%
Scope Score
42
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,059 statewide

Durham Intermediate scores 42 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 53rd 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “48% proficient” and call it done. Durham Intermediate deserves a closer read. The school sits in Durham, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 61st to the 53rd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 48% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 645%61%31%47%51%
Grade 753%44%52%46%64%
Grade 860%36%49%51%43%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 648%54%39%47%42%
Grade 753%47%64%43%58%
Grade 842%36%45%41%33%

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.

20%
30%
50%
Grade 6 · 50% proficient
20%
45%
35%
Grade 7 · 65% proficient
15%
28%
57%
Grade 8 · 43% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.4pp across grades; the floor slips 7.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
18.8%
State 16.8%
2.0pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-8.1pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
48.5%
State 39.3%
9.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
19.2%
State 18.5%
0.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
8.3%
State 3.7%
4.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0%
State 18.0%
18.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Durham Intermediate in Durham, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Durham Intermediate outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.7% Math proficient); White students (62.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.9 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 95 students tested.

All students at this school: 49% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 49%, district —, state 39%49%
WhiteWhite: this school 58%, district 52%, state 56%58% · +10 vs school
MaleMale: this school 43%, district 42%, state 42%43% · −6 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 56%, district 46%, state 44%56% · +7 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 29%, state 32%33% · −15 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 23%, district 24%, state 32%23% · −26 vs school

7 of 13 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 1.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -1.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 19.2%, district 16.2%, state 18.5%19.2% · +0.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 8.3%, district —, state 3.7%8.3% · +4.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–621.7%
Grades 7–817.9%

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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 21:119:1
Teaching staff17 teachers
Avg. experience14.6 years
Fully credentialed80%
Intern / emergency permit4.9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$50,892 – $107,146
Principal salary$106,121 – $128,968
Superintendent salary$175,011

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $30,818, CA average $14,815$30,818 · spent at this school
Federal share$477 per student

$477 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$14,273 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction57%
Instruction support10%
Student services12%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance11%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$11,877 per pupil
2019$10,947 per pupil
2018$11,501 per pupil
2017$10,785 per pupil
2016$10,894 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White70.4%
District 68.6% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic22.8%
District 22.3% · CA 56.1%
Other6.4%
District 8.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.4%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 39.9% (24pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$83K · CA $85K
Median home value$612K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+44% · CA 35%
ZIP population3,943
Median age44 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 233 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 38% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Durham Intermediate a good middle school?

Durham Intermediate has a Scope Score of 42 out of 100, placing it in the 53rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,059 statewide. 18.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Durham Intermediate's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 48.5% of students at Durham Intermediate met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 18.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 18.8% 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. 457 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Durham Intermediate rank in California?

Durham Intermediate ranks #1,059 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 53rd 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 Durham Intermediate getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Durham Intermediate decreases by 8.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Durham Intermediate?

19.2% of students at Durham Intermediate are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 8.3%. 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 Durham Intermediate compare to other schools in Durham?

Durham Intermediate scores 42/100 (53rd 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 233 students. Use the schools in Durham page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Durham Intermediate serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Durham Intermediate in Durham, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Durham Intermediate outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.7% Math proficient); White students (62.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.9 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 95 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.

Your other options

Nearby Elementary Schools

1 within ~3 mi · avg 46

See more on map →

Nearby High Schools

1 within ~3 mi · avg 46

See more on map →

Private alternatives nearby

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


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%
18.8%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 52th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-8.1pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 49th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
48.5%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
19.2%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.3%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 31th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 22th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 67920%30%23%27%51%+4
Grade 77620%45%20%16%64%+17
Grade 87415%28%28%28%43%−3
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 67916%25%35%23%42%+7
Grade 77622%36%26%16%58%+24
Grade 87319%14%30%37%33%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/117318%21%53%8%

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 Disadvantaged9538.9%+4+1
White15862.0%+3+0
Hispanic/Latino5530.9%−0−8
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Durham Intermediate ←4218.8%48.5%−8.18.3%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194361#77718.0%50.1%14.2%5.9%+4.9pp
20223237#136016.5%46.2%24.6%3.9%-21.0pp
20235376#52715.9%46.7%21.9%1.8%+12.1pp
20244055#100315.4%46.1%13.9%3.1%-1.3pp
20254253#105918.8%48.5%19.2%8.3%-8.1pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female13.8%16.0%+2.2pp
Male14.8%21.8%+7.0pp
Hispanic/Latino25.8%35.7%+9.9pp
Two or More Races13.3%
Students with Disabilities29.6%39.1%+9.5pp
English Learners20.0%47.1%+27.1pp
Homeless11.6%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged18.8%29.0%+10.2pp
All Students14.3%19.2%+4.9pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

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