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East Whittier Middle · Whittier

East Whittier Middle: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

East Whittier posts 52% meeting the standard, and 23.3% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

14421 East Whittier Boulevard, 90605 (opens in new tab)·East Whittier City Elementary·Whittier·Grades 6-8·985 students·69% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(562) 789-7220·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4843
% Exceeded23%17%
% Met+52%39%
Growth+1.5+1.5
Absence13.5%18.5%
Suspension6.4%3.7%
Scope Score
48
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #720 statewide · #3 of 3 in East Whittier City Elementary

East Whittier Middle scores 48 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 68th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “52% proficient” and call it done. East Whittier deserves a closer read. The school sits in Whittier, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

East Whittier's low-income kids hit 51.5% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 68th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Maintained)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 52% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 660%57%61%53%57%
Grade 756%59%60%61%59%
Grade 861%53%60%55%59%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 646%42%43%43%46%
Grade 744%44%48%50%46%
Grade 856%35%44%44%48%

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.

25%
32%
43%
Grade 6 · 57% proficient
21%
37%
42%
Grade 7 · 58% proficient
20%
38%
42%
Grade 8 · 58% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.3pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

51.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

East Whittier's most underrated number

51.5% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

East Whittier low-income: 51.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
23.3%
State 16.8%
6.5pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+1.5pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
52.4%
State 39.3%
13.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.5%
State 18.5%
5.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
6.4%
State 3.7%
2.7pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
23.9%
State 18.0%
5.9pp above 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 whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 East Whittier Middle in Whittier, 51.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. East Whittier Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (56.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 668 students tested.

All students at this school: 52% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 52%, district —, state 39%52%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 51%, district 52%, state 32%51% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 47%, state 32%45% · −7 vs school
MaleMale: this school 49%, district 54%, state 42%49% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 56%, district 57%, state 44%56% · +4 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 7%, district 16%, state 15%7% · −45 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 62%, district 71%, state 56%62% · +10 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 4%, district 12%, state 11%4% · −48 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 42%, district 34%, state 22%42% · −10 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 46%, district 49%, state 46%46% · −7 vs school

5 of 15 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 rises by 0.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -2.4pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 13.5%, district 11.7%, state 18.5%13.5% · −5.0pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 6.4%, district —, state 3.7%6.4% · +2.7pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–613.6%
Grades 7–813.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level

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 22:1, district 24:122:1
Teaching staff44 teachers
Avg. experience16.1 years
Fully credentialed91%
First-year teachers2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,322 – $129,562
Principal salary$178,137 – $0
Superintendent salary$335,253

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $20,110, CA average $14,815$20,110 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,801 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
Instruction68%
Instruction support8%
Student services7%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$12,409 per pupil
2019$12,417 per pupil
2018$12,032 per pupil
2017$10,657 per pupil
2016$10,726 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic88.1%
District 84.4% · CA 56.1%
White8.2%
District 8.6% · CA 19.9%
Other2.1%
District 4.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.0%
District 1.9% · CA 10.2%
Black0.5%
District 0.9% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 69.1% (5pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$100K · CA $85K
Median home value$721K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+22% · CA 35%
ZIP population39,387
Median age37 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 42% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is East Whittier Middle a good middle school?

East Whittier Middle has a Scope Score of 48 out of 100, placing it in the 68th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #720 statewide. 23.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.5 percentage points above 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 East Whittier Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 52.4% of students at East Whittier Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.3% 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. 1,918 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does East Whittier Middle rank in California?

East Whittier Middle ranks #720 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 68th 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 East Whittier Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at East Whittier Middle increases by 1.5 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 East Whittier Middle?

13.5% of students at East Whittier Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 6.4%. 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 East Whittier Middle compare to other schools in Whittier?

East Whittier Middle scores 48/100 (68th 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 985 students. Use the schools in Whittier page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does East Whittier Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At East Whittier Middle in Whittier, 51.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. East Whittier Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (56.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 668 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

All schools in Whittier →

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%
23.3%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 57th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+1.5pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 47th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
52.4%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 60th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.5%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.4%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 39th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
23.9%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 629125%32%23%20%57%+11
Grade 731521%37%19%23%59%+11
Grade 835220%38%24%17%59%+12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 629324%22%25%29%46%+11
Grade 731425%21%25%28%46%+12
Grade 835324%24%30%22%48%+15
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1135315%27%48%9%

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 Disadvantaged66851.5%+0+13
Hispanic/Latino84256.8%−0+18
Students with Disabilities998.1%−8−9
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
East Whittier Middle ←—4823.3%52.4%+1.56.4%
Granada Middle2.3 mi5632.9%63.6%−12.05.7%
Hillview Middle1.6 mi5019.4%46.1%−4.17.6%
Walter F. Dexter Middle3.3 mi339.2%26.9%+0.71.6%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195174#51422.8%54.0%6.8%4.6%+5.5pp
20224467#70918.4%48.6%23.7%2.6%-5.6pp
20235376#52822.1%52.6%18.8%4.8%-0.1pp
20244668#70521.1%51.1%13.4%5.8%+1.1pp
20254868#72023.3%52.4%13.5%6.4%+1.5pp
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
Female5.2%13.9%+8.7pp
Male8.1%12.9%+4.8pp
Asian0.0%——
Hispanic/Latino6.6%14.2%+7.6pp
Students with Disabilities9.6%22.7%+13.1pp
English Learners8.3%21.3%+13.0pp
Homeless28.1%27.8%-0.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.7%17.0%+8.3pp
All Students6.8%13.4%+6.6pp
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

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