Public school · Barstow Unified

Independent Study Program — Rating & test scores

405 North 2nd Avenue, Barstow · Grades 5–12

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Scope Score 64

Needs SupportScope Score · bottom 1%. In the lowest 1 in 100 of the 2,529 California public middle schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Well below California in English (reading and writing) and math, grades 6–8, spring 2026: 5% and 0% scored Proficient or Advanced, against 49% and 37%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 6–8: 42
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 6, 7 and 8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,254,039 in English and 1,254,800 in math tested).

Overview

Is Independent Study Program a good middle school?

Needs Support. Independent Study Program is lower than most California middle schools on test results and attendance.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced15%
Math, Proficient or Advanced10%
English, Advanced10%
Math, Advanced10%

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance159 in 100
Independent Study Program’s place among California middle schools, out of 100Barstow Unified’s other middle schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

59 in 100 students (64 of 108) missed 10% or more of school days in 2025–26. That compares with 50 in 100 at the average Barstow Unified middle school.

Each bar is Independent Study Program’s place among 2,529 California public middle schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 6–8. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Source for the sentence
CDE chronic absenteeism file, 2025–26. All students counted for chronic absence (CDE’s eligible enrollment): 108. District and California figures are averages of school rates (3 Barstow Unified schools; 2,529 scored California middle schools), our calculation.

In its own words

What does Independent Study Program say about itself?

We haven’t read Independent Study Program’s website yet. Until we do, the school’s own site is the best place to hear it in its own words.

Open isp.busdk12.com (opens in a new tab)

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

1 of the 2 middle schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than Independent Study Program. Each school is compared with every California middle school.

Scope Score

3 middle schools within 1.5 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. Barstow STEM AcademyMagnet · by applicationScope Score 689th
  2. Independent Study ProgramScope Score 64bottom 1%
  3. BarstowNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 62bottom 1%
Barstow UnifiedMagnet or school of choice

A magnet or other school of choice takes applications through its district.

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Well below California in both subjects.

English

5%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

869
Barstow Unified13%California49%

Math

0%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

98
Barstow Unified5%California37%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 6–8, spring 2026, 5% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and none in math, against 49% and 37% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 5
Proficient or Advancedsuppressed
Advancedsuppressed
Proficientsuppressed
Developing levelsuppressed
Minimalsuppressed
Tested8
California49%
Difference—
English, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced6%8%0%
Advanced0%0%0%
Proficient6%8%0%
Developing level11%9%8%
Minimal83%83%92%
Tested181212
California48%51%49%
Difference−42−43−49
English, grade 11: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 11
Proficient or Advancednot on file
Advancednot on file
Proficientnot on file
Developing levelnot on file
Minimalnot on file
Testednot on file
California57%
Difference—

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 5
Proficient or Advancedsuppressed
Advancedsuppressed
Proficientsuppressed
Developing levelsuppressed
Minimalsuppressed
Tested8
California37%
Difference—
Math, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced0%0%0%
Advanced0%0%0%
Proficient0%0%0%
Developing level0%0%8%
Minimal100%100%92%
Tested181212
California37%38%36%
Difference−37−38−36
Math, grade 11: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 11
Proficient or Advancednot on file
Advancednot on file
Proficientnot on file
Developing levelnot on file
Minimalnot on file
Testednot on file
California32%
Difference—

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 6–8 · This school0%5%9%86%42
English, grades 6–8 · California19%30%23%28%1,254,039
English, grades 6–8 · Barstow Unified2%11%18%69%1,199
Math, grades 6–8 · This school0%0%2%98%42
Math, grades 6–8 · California21%16%23%40%1,254,800
Math, grades 6–8 · Barstow Unified2%3%16%79%1,197

Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined: 42 tested in English, 42 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here, at 57% of students. 64 of 108 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

59in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (64 of 108 students).

At the average Barstow Unified middle school: 50 in 100. At the average California middle school: 18 in 100.

Students, 2025–26

Hispanic or Latino 57%Black or African American 25%White 13%

Suspensions, 2025–26

0

students were suspended at least once. Average California middle school 3.7%.

Sources: California Department of Education. Each tile names its year.

Missing school, by grade
Grades 5–6
15 of 31 students in grades 5–6 were chronically absent.
Grades 7–8
30 of 44 students in grades 7–8 were chronically absent.
Grades 9–12
19 of 33 students in grades 9–12 were chronically absent.
Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
Hispanic or Latino57%
Black or African American25%
White13%
Asian—
Filipino—
Two or more races—
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families can answer a short set of questions about Independent Study Program. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  2. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  3. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

Staff can’t answer for this school yet

We don’t check staff emails for Barstow Unified yet. Tell us your district’s email domain and we’ll work on adding it.

Ask us to add your district

The neighborhood

What is the area around Independent Study Program like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 92311. They are not figures for the families at Independent Study Program.

Typical household income in a year

$61,862

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 92311.

Typical home value
$246,400
People who live in this ZIP code
33,954
Typical age
33.5 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
13%

What you can do

Who can act on Independent Study Program’s results?

Barstow Unified’s board decides Independent Study Program’s plan.

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

Extra state help for the district

The state is giving Barstow Unified extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 and 2026 California School Dashboards. The 2026 Dashboard flagged results for homeless students on three measures: English, graduation and suspensions; and for low-income students on two measures: math, and suspensions. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.

Extra help for Barstow Unified: CDE’s assistance status files for the 2025 and 2026 California School Dashboards. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 6 questions to Independent Study Program. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. Do families get each child’s absence count during the year, and what happens once a child starts missing school?59 in 100 chronically absent, 2025–26 (64 of 108 students); average California middle school: 18 in 100
  2. What extra help do students who are behind get, and how do you know it’s working?95% in English and 100% in math scored at the Developing or Minimal level, grades 6–8, spring 2026 (42 students tested in each); California: 51% and 63%
  3. Which math courses can students take, and how are placements decided?
  4. Which electives and high-school transition supports are available?

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

How do I get in?

Ask Barstow Unified which school serves your address.

Where it is

Where is Independent Study Program?

Address
405 North 2nd Avenue, Barstow 92311Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
David Van NormanAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated December 11, 2025.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 4 common questions

How do I get in?

Ask Barstow Unified which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Independent Study Program a good middle school?

Independent Study Program has a Scope Score of 64. It is in the bottom 1% of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools (Needs Support, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 59 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 50 in 100 at the average Barstow Unified middle school. 0 of 127 students were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. See the details ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 8 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
8
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

2025 CDE CCI overall Prepared: no exact school row in the verified 2025 source.

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #2,516 of 2,529 California middle schools we score · #2 of 3 in Barstow Unified
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math0%3242%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math2%2123%
Chronically absent59 in 10095%
Suspension rate0 of 127615%
Grade gap (G6→G8, different students)-2.8pp—not scored

Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. The weights above add to 75%: the remaining 25%, for measures with no value here, is shared out among the measures above.

Scope Score by year2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–26640#2516California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula
School yearChronic absenceSuspensionGrade gap (points)
2025–2659 in 1000 of 127−3

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 6 and grade 8 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).
Every tested year2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresAdvancedProficient or Advanced
2026 · English520%8%
2026 · Math520%2%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide240%0%71%29%

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.

Chronic absence by student groupState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female—39 of 71—
Male—25 of 37—
Black or African American—17 of 27—
Hispanic or Latino—34 of 62—
White—10 of 14—
English learners—6 of 11—
Low-income—59 of 96—
All students—59 in 100—

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$12,633 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 6,129 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,973 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 62%Instruction support 11%Student services 10%Administration 10%Buildings & maintenance 7%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$71,383,57662.21%62%
Instruction support$12,970,71011.30%11%
Student services$11,193,7259.75%10%
Administration$10,792,2579.40%10%
Buildings & maintenance$8,412,4637.33%7%
Total$114,753,290100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $114,753,290 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$12,633 per pupil
2020$12,662 per pupil
2019$12,804 per pupil
2018$11,482 per pupil
2017$10,964 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 92311 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 92311 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$61,862
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)13%
ZIP-area population33,954
Median age33.5 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 92311 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

Embed this scorecard

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Free to embed with the credit link. Data updates automatically.

Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

  • No student group comparison is shown for this school this year: either no group had 30 or more students tested in each subject, or no same-grade district or state rate was available for its groups.
  • Its Scope Score is a middle school score; results for its other grades are in these records.

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