School Profile · Alpine
Joan MacQueen Middle: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
Joan MacQueen posts 37% meeting the standard and 14.7% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
2001 Tavern Road, 91901 (opens in new tab)·Alpine Union Elementary·Alpine·Grades 6-8·405 students·37% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 445-3245·Website
Scope Score
33
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #1,372 statewide
Joan MacQueen Middle scores 33 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 39th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “37% proficient” and call it done. Joan MacQueen deserves a closer read. The school sits in Alpine, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
9%
24%
67%
Grade 6 · 33% proficient
17%
29%
54%
Grade 7 · 46% proficient
16%
32%
52%
Grade 8 · 48% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.7pp across grades; the floor rises 13.9pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
14.7%
State 16.8%
2.2pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
37.2%
State 39.3%
2.1pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+5.6pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
25.4%
State 18.5%
6.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.3%
State 3.7%
2.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0%
State 18.0%
18.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
Middle
Joan MacQueen Middle
33/100
This school
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic31.1%
White50.9%
Asian1.0%
Black1.2%
Other15.8%
GenderFemale 49.1%Male 49.9%Non-binary 1.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 36.8% (27pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
405
455 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,292
District avg: $11,950 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$59,701 – $122,820
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Joan MacQueen Middle in Alpine, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joan MacQueen Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 4.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.6% Math proficient); White students (47.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 142 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+13.1pp
38.5% vs 25.4% overall · n=156
Suspension · English Learner+13.7pp
20.0% vs 6.3% overall · n=15
ELA · Disabilities−35.8pp
6.7% vs 42.6% overall · n=70
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−12.8pp
1.4% vs 14.2% overall · n=70
Math · Disabilities−25.2pp
7.0% vs 32.1% overall · n=71
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−12.6pp
2.6% vs 15.2% overall · n=71
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income142 tested
ELA 31.0%·Math 17.6%· -4.7pp vs district
White191 tested
ELA 47.4%·Math 37.7%· -3.7pp vs district
Hispanic124 tested
ELA 34.5%·Math 22.0%· -9.0pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 21.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +20.4pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$114K
$29K above CA median
Median Home Value
$852K
$193K above CA median
Bachelor's+
31%
4pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
13.0 years avg experience
21 teachers · 10% first-year · 10% second-year
Teacher Credentials
75% fully credentialed
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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 · 43%
14.7%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
37.2%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 48th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+5.6pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
25.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 40th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.3%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 39th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 21th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 99 | 9% | 24% | 32% | 34% | 33% | −13 |
| Grade 7 | 138 | 17% | 29% | 20% | 34% | 46% | −1 |
| Grade 8 | 146 | 16% | 32% | 25% | 28% | 47% | +1 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 100 | 16% | 14% | 27% | 43% | 30% | −5 |
| Grade 7 | 138 | 19% | 20% | 31% | 30% | 39% | +5 |
| Grade 8 | 147 | 11% | 16% | 40% | 33% | 27% | −5 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 148 | 5% | 21% | 53% | 21% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 142 | 31.0% | −5 | −7 |
| White | 190 | 47.4% | −4 | −14 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 124 | 34.5% | −9 | −4 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joan MacQueen Middle ← | — | 33 | 14.7% | 37.2% | +5.6 | 6.3% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #803 → #1403 → #944 → #1066 → #1372
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Joan MacQueen Middle a good middle school?
Joan MacQueen Middle has a Scope Score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the 39th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,372 statewide. 14.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.2 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Joan MacQueen Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 37.2% of students at Joan MacQueen Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.7% 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. 768 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Joan MacQueen Middle rank in California?
Joan MacQueen Middle ranks #1,372 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 39th 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 Joan MacQueen Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Joan MacQueen Middle increases by 5.6 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 Joan MacQueen Middle?
25.4% of students at Joan MacQueen Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 6.3%. 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 Joan MacQueen Middle compare to other schools in Alpine?
Joan MacQueen Middle scores 33/100 (39th 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 405 students. Use the schools in Alpine page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Joan MacQueen Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Joan MacQueen Middle in Alpine, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joan MacQueen Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 4.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.6% Math proficient); White students (47.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 142 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.