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School Profile · La Quinta

La Quinta Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

La Quinta posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

78-900 Avenue 50, 92253 (opens in new tab)·Desert Sands Unified·La Quinta·Grades 6-8·709 students·85% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 777-4220·Website
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,763 statewide · #3 of 8 in Desert Sands Unified

La Quinta Middle scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 21st 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 “30% proficient” and call it done. La Quinta deserves a closer read. The school sits in La Quinta, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 29.8% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

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.

10%
28%
62%
Grade 6 · 38% proficient
8%
27%
65%
Grade 7 · 35% proficient
9%
26%
65%
Grade 8 · 35% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
10.5%
State 16.8%
6.3pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-7.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
29.6%
State 39.3%
9.7pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.0%
State 18.5%
9.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.2%
State 3.7%
2.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
29.8%
State 18.0%
11.8pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

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 Score

Student demographics

Hispanic78.1%
White11.1%
Asian1.4%
Black1.7%
Other7.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 85.3% (22pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
709
151 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,460
District avg: $13,985 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
29.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$63,775 – $132,451
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At La Quinta Middle in La Quinta, 33.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. La Quinta Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 599 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+6.2pp
34.2% vs 28.0% overall · n=114
Suspension · Filipino+10.5pp
16.7% vs 6.2% overall · n=36
ELA · English Learner−30.9pp
5.2% vs 36.1% overall · n=101
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Two or More Races−9.0pp
0.0% vs 9.0% overall · n=23
Math · English Learner−22.2pp
0.8% vs 23.0% overall · n=100
Math Exceeded · English Learner−11.1pp
0.8% vs 11.9% overall · n=100

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income599 tested
ELA 33.4%·Math 18.6%· -1.7pp vs district
Hispanic551 tested
ELA 33.2%·Math 21.3%· -2.5pp vs district
English Learner101 tested
ELA 5.0%·Math 1.0%· -1.0pp 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 falls by 4.3pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -2.3pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 35%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$99K
$14K above CA median
Median Home Value
$662K
$3K above CA median
Bachelor's+
40%
5pp above 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
14.9 years avg experience
33 teachers · 21% first-year
Teacher Credentials
93% 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is La Quinta Middle a good middle school?
La Quinta Middle has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 21st percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,763 statewide. 10.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.3 percentage points below 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 La Quinta Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 29.6% of students at La Quinta Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 10.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 10.5% 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. 1,396 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does La Quinta Middle rank in California?
La Quinta Middle ranks #1,763 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 21st 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 La Quinta Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at La Quinta Middle decreases by 7.3 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 La Quinta Middle?
28.0% of students at La Quinta Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 6.2%. 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 La Quinta Middle compare to other schools in La Quinta?
La Quinta Middle scores 29/100 (21st 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 709 students. Use the schools in La Quinta page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does La Quinta Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At La Quinta Middle in La Quinta, 33.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. La Quinta Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 599 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.

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%
10.5%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 43th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-7.3pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 31th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
29.6%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 42th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.0%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 37th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.2%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 40th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
29.8%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 621510%28%32%30%38%−8
Grade 72298%27%25%40%35%−13
Grade 82559%26%28%36%35%−11
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 621516%14%30%40%31%−4
Grade 722910%9%28%52%20%−14
Grade 82539%10%19%62%19%−13
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112544%14%56%26%

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 Disadvantaged59933.4%−2−5
Hispanic/Latino55133.2%−3−6
English Learners1015.0%−1−5
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
La Quinta Middle ←2910.5%29.6%−7.36.2%
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies2.6 mi4416.3%42.3%+4.31.8%
Indio Middle3.4 mi222.1%11.9%+1.33.7%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
25%29%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1703 → #1728 → #1888 → #1914 → #1763
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue