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Newark Middle · Newark

Newark Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Newark posts 44% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

6201 Lafayette Avenue, 94560 (opens in new tab)·Newark Unified·Newark·Grades 6-8·980 students·40% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(510) 818-3000·Website
2023–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3843
% Exceeded20%17%
% Met+44%39%
Growth-12.6+1.5
Absence17.3%18.5%
Suspension8.3%3.7%
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,272 statewide

Newark 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “44% proficient” and call it done. Newark deserves a closer read. The school sits in Newark, where two 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

Climbed from the 34th to the 43rd percentile since 2023 — past roughly 200 middle schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 649%52%58%
Grade 745%45%40%42%48%
Grade 841%46%34%32%46%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 637%36%44%
Grade 738%31%30%32%33%
Grade 830%31%25%23%31%

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.

29%
29%
42%
Grade 6 · 58% proficient
16%
32%
52%
Grade 7 · 48% proficient
19%
27%
54%
Grade 8 · 46% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 10.2pp across grades; the floor slips 12.1pp. 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
20.4%
State 16.8%
3.6pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-12.6pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
43.5%
State 39.3%
4.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.3%
State 18.5%
1.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
8.3%
State 3.7%
4.7pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
9.2%
State 18.0%
8.7pp 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 what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Newark Middle in Newark, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Newark Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 408 students tested.

All students at this school: 44% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 44%, district —, state 39%44%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 30%, district 30%, state 32%30% · −13 vs school
MaleMale: this school 42%, district 42%, state 42%42% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 45%, district 46%, state 44%45% · +2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 27%, district 29%, state 32%27% · −16 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 7%, state 11%3% · −40 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 63%, district 66%, state 72%63% · +19 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 11%, district 13%, state 15%11% · −32 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 70%, district 58%, state 56%70% · +26 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 55%, district 61%, state 56%55% · +11 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 70%, district 68%, state 65%70% · +26 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 15%, district 21%, state 22%15% · −29 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 9%, district 9%, state 26%9% · −34 vs school
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: 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 9.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -9.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 17.3%, district 29.4%, state 18.5%17.3% · −1.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 8.3%, district —, state 3.7%8.3% · +4.7pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–613.1%
Grades 7–819.5%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 25:123:1
Teaching staff46 teachers
Avg. experience7.0 years
Fully credentialed75%
First-year teachers35%
Intern / emergency permit4.9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$76,368 – $132,475
Principal salary$131,506 – $182,600
Superintendent salary$247,500

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,560, CA average $14,815$17,560 · spent at this school
Federal share$357 per student

$357 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,375 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
Instruction57%
Instruction support10%
Student services12%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance12%
Other1%

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$12,659 per pupil
2019$12,007 per pupil
2018$12,769 per pupil
2017$11,681 per pupil
2016$11,877 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic55.8%
District 53.7% · CA 56.1%
Other18.1%
District 19.0% · CA 9.0%
Asian16.0%
District 16.5% · CA 10.2%
White7.9%
District 8.4% · CA 19.9%
Black2.2%
District 2.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 40.1% (24pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$169K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.14M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+48% · CA 35%
ZIP population46,903
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 26% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Newark Middle a good middle school?

Newark Middle has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 43rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,272 statewide. 20.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.6 percentage points above 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 Newark Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 43.5% of students at Newark Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 20.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 20.4% 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. 1,862 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Newark Middle rank in California?

Newark Middle ranks #1,272 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 Newark Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Newark Middle decreases by 12.6 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 Newark Middle?

17.3% of students at Newark Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 8.3%. 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 Newark Middle compare to other schools in Newark?

Newark 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 980 students. Use the schools in Newark page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Newark Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Newark Middle in Newark, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Newark Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 408 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

Private alternatives nearby

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


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%
20.4%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 54th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-12.6pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 36th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
43.5%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.3%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 52th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.3%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 31th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
9.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 33th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 631829%29%21%20%58%+12
Grade 729216%32%22%30%48%−0
Grade 831519%27%21%33%46%+0
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 632025%20%20%35%44%+9
Grade 729713%20%24%43%33%−1
Grade 832021%11%21%48%31%−1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113189%17%58%16%

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 Disadvantaged40834.3%+1−4
Hispanic/Latino51337.6%+2−1
English Learners1653.0%−3−7
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Newark Middle ←3820.4%43.5%−12.68.3%
Thornton Middle1.6 mi7453.4%76.9%+1.77.7%
Centerville Middle2.1 mi5937.9%60.9%−1.67.3%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20233434#143816.9%35.9%10.3%8.8%-13.7pp
20243031#152716.3%36.1%8.3%8.9%-16.5pp
20253843#127220.4%43.5%17.3%8.3%-12.6pp
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female6.9%16.8%+9.9pp
Male5.2%17.8%+12.6pp
Asian3.5%6.8%+3.3pp
Black/African American10.3%40.9%+30.6pp
White2.4%2.7%+0.3pp
Hispanic/Latino5.8%22.5%+16.7pp
Pacific Islander18.2%23.1%+4.9pp
Two or More Races7.5%13.6%+6.1pp
Students with Disabilities12.4%26.0%+13.6pp
English Learners6.3%24.7%+18.4pp
Homeless16.1%17.8%+1.7pp
Military-Connected0.0%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.4%21.7%+14.3pp
All Students6.0%17.3%+11.3pp
Filipino15.8%
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