How does Jefferson Middle compare to other middle schools in Torrance?

Jefferson Middle has a SchoolScope composite score of 62.0/100, placing it at the 90th percentile statewide. 40% of students exceed standard, with a total of 1,341 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Jefferson Middle?

39.6% of students at Jefferson Middle exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 68.2% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Jefferson Middle improving or declining?

Jefferson Middle's proficiency rate decreases by 1.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Jefferson Middle?

6.2% of students at Jefferson 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.

Jefferson Middle

Middle School

Torrance Unified TorranceLos Angeles County90503

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of middle schools

State Rank

of California middle schools

School overview

Enrollment

645 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

27:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

28%

Teachers

24 full-time

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Increased

+3.4 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Increased

+10.2 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

43.8%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 73 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic25.6%

White19.5%

Asian31.8%

Black7.3%

Other15.8%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Jefferson Middle
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	39.6%
Met Standard	28.6%
Below Standard	31.8%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "68% proficient" for Jefferson Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

39.6% of students exceeded standard while 28.6% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 22.3 points above the state average of 17.3%. That's 2.8 points above the Torrance Unified district average of 36.8%. Nearby schools (within ~3 miles) average 38.0% exceeded — about the same. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 1.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance increased and Math increased year-over-year. 43.8% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 6.2%, better than the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

39.6%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

68.2%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G6→G8)

-1.1pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

6.2%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

2.4%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

1,341

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	257	38.1%	32.3%	15.6%	14.0%	70.4%
7th	204	31.9%	39.7%	18.6%	9.8%	71.6%
8th	209	39.7%	35.9%	15.3%	9.1%	75.6%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	256	47.3%	21.9%	17.6%	13.3%	69.1%
7th	206	38.8%	21.8%	22.3%	17.0%	60.7%
8th	209	41.6%	20.1%	18.2%	20.1%	61.7%

K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Elementary

Zoned

Also serves area

▼

Middle

Jefferson Middle

62.090th pctile

This school

▼

High School

West High

72.793rd pctile

Zoned

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