How does Edward J. Richardson Middle compare to other middle schools in Torrance?

Edward J. Richardson Middle has a SchoolScope composite score of 68.2/100, placing it at the 95th percentile statewide. 47% of students exceed standard, with a total of 1,291 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Edward J. Richardson Middle?

46.8% of students at Edward J. Richardson Middle exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 74.1% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Edward J. Richardson Middle improving or declining?

Edward J. Richardson Middle's proficiency rate increases by 5.0 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value over time.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Edward J. Richardson Middle?

5.2% of students at Edward J. Richardson Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Edward J. Richardson Middle

Middle School

Torrance Unified TorranceLos Angeles County90505

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of middle schools

State Rank

of California middle schools

School overview

Enrollment

649 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

25:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

18%

Teachers

26 full-time

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Increased

+5.8 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Increased

+4.4 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

71.4%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 35 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic17.1%

White33.3%

Asian31.1%

Black1.4%

Other17.1%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Edward J. Richardson Middle
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	46.8%
Met Standard	27.3%
Below Standard	25.9%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "74% proficient" for Edward J. Richardson Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

46.8% of students exceeded standard while 27.3% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 29.5 points above the state average of 17.3%. That's 10.0 points above the Torrance Unified district average of 36.8%. Compared to the 4 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 8.8 points higher (vs 38.0% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Students here improve by 5.0 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance increased and Math increased year-over-year. 71.4% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 5.2%, better than the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

46.8%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

74.1%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G6→G8)

+5.0pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

5.2%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

1.4%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

1,291

Across all grades & subjects

Grade trajectory

ELA Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

Math Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	224	40.6%	31.3%	18.3%	9.8%	71.9%
7th	199	53.8%	32.7%	8.5%	5.0%	86.4%
8th	221	44.8%	36.2%	10.4%	8.6%	81.0%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	225	44.4%	21.3%	22.7%	11.6%	65.8%
7th	200	50.0%	23.0%	16.0%	11.0%	73.0%
8th	222	47.3%	19.4%	18.0%	15.3%	66.7%

K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Elementary

Zoned

Zoned

▼

Middle

Edward J. Richardson Middle

68.295th pctile

This school

▼

High School

South High

72.093rd pctile

Zoned

Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.