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Martin Luther King Jr. Middle · Oceanside

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Martin Luther King Jr. posts 40% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

1290 Ivey Ranch Road, 92057 (opens in new tab)·Oceanside Unified·Oceanside·Grades 6-8·1,098 students·64% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 901-8800·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3843
% Exceeded15%17%
% Met+40%39%
Growth+0.8+1.5
Absence23.4%18.5%
Suspension6.9%3.7%
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,277 statewide · #9 of 10 in Oceanside Unified

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 43rd 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “40% proficient” and call it done. Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a closer read. The school sits in Oceanside, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 65th to the 43rd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 40% meet the standard today, versus 45% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 649%45%41%45%45%
Grade 745%48%49%46%43%
Grade 852%52%48%52%43%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 636%35%36%29%34%
Grade 740%27%47%39%36%
Grade 847%38%36%44%38%

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.

14%
31%
55%
Grade 6 · 45% proficient
13%
30%
57%
Grade 7 · 43% proficient
10%
33%
57%
Grade 8 · 43% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 4.1pp across grades; the floor slips 2.0pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
15.3%
State 16.8%
1.6pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+0.8pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
40.0%
State 39.3%
0.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
23.4%
State 18.5%
4.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.9%
State 3.7%
3.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.5%
State 18.0%
2.5pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle in Oceanside, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 665 students tested.

All students at this school: 40% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 40%, district —, state 39%40%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 30%, district 30%, state 32%30% · −10 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 30%, district 29%, state 32%30% · −10 vs school
MaleMale: this school 38%, district 35%, state 42%38% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 39%, state 44%42% · +2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 62%, district 53%, state 56%62% · +22 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 45%, district 46%, state 56%45% · +5 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 7%, district 11%, state 15%7% · −33 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 1%, district 5%, state 11%1% · −39 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 30%, district 33%, state 26%30% · −10 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 50%, district 48%, state 46%50% · +10 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 54%, district 48%, state 65%54% · +14 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 66%, district 65%, state 72%66% · +26 vs school
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 1.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +3.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 23.4%, district 24.8%, state 18.5%23.4% · +4.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 6.9%, district —, state 3.7%6.9% · +3.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–618.5%
Grades 7–825.9%

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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 23:123:1
Teaching staff52 teachers
Avg. experience16.6 years
Fully credentialed92%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$53,318 – $118,979
Principal salary$153,348 – $183,517
Superintendent salary$300,606

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,410, CA average $14,815$18,410 · spent at this school
Federal share$884 per student

$884 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,901 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction60%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance11%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$14,594 per pupil
2019$13,384 per pupil
2018$13,154 per pupil
2017$11,020 per pupil
2016$10,838 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic53.5%
District 57.1% · CA 56.1%
Other19.8%
District 12.7% · CA 9.0%
White19.1%
District 24.8% · CA 19.9%
Black4.5%
District 3.7% · CA 4.8%
Asian3.1%
District 1.7% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 63.9% (0pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$109K · CA $85K
Median home value$743K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+33% · CA 35%
ZIP population56,835
Median age39 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 27% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Martin Luther King Jr. Middle a good middle school?

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 43rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,277 statewide. 15.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Martin Luther King Jr. Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 40.0% of students at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 15.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 15.3% 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. 2,095 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Martin Luther King Jr. Middle rank in California?

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle ranks #1,277 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 43rd 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 Martin Luther King Jr. Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle increases by 0.8 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 Martin Luther King Jr. Middle?

23.4% of students at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 6.9%. 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 Martin Luther King Jr. Middle compare to other schools in Oceanside?

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle scores 38/100 (43rd 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 1,098 students. Use the schools in Oceanside page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Martin Luther King Jr. Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle in Oceanside, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 665 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.

Your other options

All schools in Oceanside →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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%
15.3%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 48th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+0.8pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 44th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
40.0%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
23.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 43th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.9%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 37th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 42th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 634714%31%27%28%45%−2
Grade 734313%30%23%34%43%−4
Grade 836110%33%26%31%43%−3
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 634612%22%29%36%34%−1
Grade 734118%18%27%37%36%+2
Grade 835724%15%19%43%38%+6
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1135712%15%52%22%

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 Disadvantaged66534.3%−1−4
Hispanic/Latino56333.7%−1−5
White20163.2%+6+1
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle ←—3815.3%40.0%+0.86.9%
Cesar Chavez Middle1.9 mi4012.9%36.1%+8.27.1%
Roosevelt Middle2.2 mi288.1%24.1%−7.86.7%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194565#71117.1%44.9%9.8%4.2%+6.9pp
20224263#80615.5%40.8%31.7%5.4%+4.8pp
20234765#75316.9%42.9%25.0%4.7%+3.8pp
20244669#69518.0%42.6%24.5%6.6%+11.6pp
20253843#127715.3%40.0%23.4%6.9%+0.8pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female9.1%22.5%+13.4pp
Male10.5%24.5%+14.0pp
Asian4.3%5.4%+1.1pp
Black/African American10.0%30.2%+20.2pp
White3.2%7.7%+4.5pp
Hispanic/Latino9.9%27.0%+17.1pp
Pacific Islander17.9%30.0%+12.1pp
Two or More Races7.2%22.3%+15.1pp
Students with Disabilities14.4%34.4%+20.0pp
English Learners8.5%35.6%+27.1pp
Military-Connected7.7%——
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.7%29.0%+17.3pp
All Students9.8%23.5%+13.7pp
Filipino—31.8%—
Homeless—58.3%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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