Public school with a magnet program · Norwalk-La Mirada Unified

Reginald M. Benton Middle — Rating & test scores

15709 East Olive Branch Road, La Mirada · 718 students · Grades 6–8

How to enroll
Compare

Compare schools

Choose up to four middle schools.

Type at least two characters to search.

Save

Sign in to save this school

Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap, with building heights from LA County. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

Scope Score 78

SolidScope Score · 68th percentile. Higher than 68 in 100 of the 2,529 California public middle schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Above California in English (reading and writing), near in math, grades 6–8, spring 2026: 57% and 35% scored Proficient or Advanced, against 49% and 37%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 6–8: 660 in English, 659 in math
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 6, 7 and 8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,254,039 in English and 1,254,800 in math tested).

Overview

Is Reginald M. Benton a good middle school?

Solid. Reginald M. Benton is higher than most California middle schools on test results, progress in both subjects and attendance.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced7057%
Math, Proficient or Advanced5835%
English, Advanced6518%
Math, Advanced5717%

Progress in a year, 2025

English94+18 pts
Math56+1 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance5614 in 100
Reginald M. Benton’s place among California middle schools, out of 100Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s other middle schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

1.7% of students (12 of 714) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school.

Each bar is Reginald M. Benton’s place among 2,529 California public middle schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 6–8. Progress is the state’s measure of how the same students’ scores changed against the score it expected, 2025. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Source for the sentence
CDE suspension file, 2025–26. All students enrolled during the year (CDE’s cumulative enrollment): 714. District and California figures are averages of school rates (5 Norwalk-La Mirada Unified schools; 2,529 scored California middle schools), our calculation.

In its own words

What does Reginald M. Benton say about itself?

These lines come from the school’s own website. They are the school’s description. They are not parent reviews or test results.

“Benton Visual & Performing Arts Magnet is a place where we are committed to helping each student reach their highest potential, find their passion, make meaningful connections between the world and their learning, and prepare for future success.”
bentonms.org (opens in a new tab), read October 23, 2026

Every line here is from bentonms.org, read October 23, 2026.

Progress

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

In English, yes. In math, about the same. In 2025, students here in grades 6–8 scored 18 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Accelerated. In math, they scored 1 point higher, which the state calls Average.

English

+18

points higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Accelerated, the fourth of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino467+16 points
Low-income370+15 points
White82+20 points
Homeless Youth79+6 points
English learners67+4 points

Math

+1

point higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino465−2 points
Low-income371−3 points
White82+16 points
Homeless Youth79−2 points
English learners67−6 points

Grades 6–8, 2025, 666 students in English, 665 in math with scores in both years. It describes results, not causes. Source: California Department of Education, growth model.

How the state’s growth measure works

The state calls this comparison an expected score. It sets one for each student from that student’s own score the year before.

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 18 points above that expected score, and in math 1 point above it. Unlike the growth in our Scope Score, it follows the same students from one year to the next.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Our Scope Score measures growth another way. It compares the latest grade 8 scores here with the school’s grade 6 scores two years earlier (partly different children), then places that change among California schools at the same level. The state’s measure counts only students who took California’s test the year before, so the two can point different ways.

SchoolScope middle standardized cohort gain: approximately 82nd percentile on a calibrated reference scale, not an empirical school rank. This score compares school-level grade groups across English and math, not matched students in California's separate growth model.

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

6 of the 7 middle schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than Reginald M. Benton. Each school is compared with every California middle school.

Scope Score

8 middle schools within 3.0 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. D. Russell ParksFullerton Elementary · by addressScope Score 8588th
  2. Arlie F. HutchinsonNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 8487th
  3. GranadaEast Whittier City Elementary · by addressScope Score 8178th
  4. Rancho-Starbuck IntermediateLowell Joint · by addressScope Score 8076th
  5. HillviewEast Whittier City Elementary · by addressScope Score 8073rd
  6. Gordon H. BeattyBuena Park Elementary · by addressScope Score 7968th
  7. Reginald M. BentonScope Score 7868th
  8. ImperialLa Habra City Elementary · by addressScope Score 7229th
Norwalk-La Mirada UnifiedA neighborhood school in another district

A neighborhood school in another district takes students who live in its area. Ask that district about a transfer.

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Scores and family income

Further right, more students are from low-income families. Higher up, more students scored Proficient or Advanced in English.

50%75%0%25%50%75%100%

6 of 8 schools are named on the chart. Point at a dot or tap it to read any school.

English results: California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Low-income is the share of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes.

Schools like it

How does Reginald M. Benton compare with schools like it?

Reginald M. Benton’s Scope Score is 78. 308 California middle schools, counting Reginald M. Benton, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 76. Reginald M. Benton’s result is higher than 199 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 308

  1. Students from low-income families: 54%

    Scope Score 91Strong · 96th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 53%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 95th percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 54%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 94th percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 61%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 94th percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 56%

    Scope Score 89Strong · 94th percentile

308 California public middle schools where 49% to 61% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, spring 2026.

How the group is chosen

The group is every California public middle school we score where 49% to 61% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of Reginald M. Benton’s share. The count includes Reginald M. Benton. Typical means the median: half are higher and half are lower. Schools differ in more than family income, and no score is changed for it. Our calculation from California Department of Education records: state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, and school meal eligibility, 2024–25.

Over time

Have results changed?

Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English went from 58% to 57% and math from 33% to 35%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2017 to 2026

Grades 6–8. Point at a year, tap it or use the arrow keys to read its figures.

English

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202639%49%57%Reginald M. BentonThis school49%CaliforniaCalifornia49%Norwalk-La Mirada UnifiedDistrict

Math

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%20172018201920222023202420252026Both 26%37%CaliforniaCalifornia35%Reginald M. BentonThis school33%Norwalk-La Mirada UnifiedDistrict

The lines break where a year has no comparable state test results. Each spring tests a different group of students. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s line combines its 5 middle schools we score (our calculation). Faint lines are its other schools. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Each year’s results

The top two levels were called Met or Exceeded before 2026 and are called Proficient or Advanced now. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 6–8: share at the top two levels
SpringReginald M. BentonNorwalk-La Mirada UnifiedCaliforniaTested here
201749%39%48%510
201844%41%49%528
201952%45%50%515
202249%41%47%619
202346%42%46%673
202451%45%46%693
202558%50%49%707
202657%49%49%660
Math, grades 6–8: share at the top two levels
SpringReginald M. BentonNorwalk-La Mirada UnifiedCaliforniaTested here
201726%26%37%511
201820%28%37%527
201928%31%38%517
202223%22%31%615
202324%25%32%674
202427%26%33%687
202533%33%36%703
202635%33%37%659

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Above California in English; near it in math.

English

57%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

18253918
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified49%California49%

Math

35%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

37281817
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified33%California37%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 6–8, spring 2026, 57% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 35% in math, against 49% and 37% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

How does math compare with English?

In grades 6–8, spring 2026, math trails English by 22 percentage points in the share who scored Proficient or Advanced, against 12 points across California. The grades 6–8 cards above give each subject’s share.

Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced46%68%57%
Advanced17%24%15%
Proficient29%44%42%
Developing level29%18%28%
Minimal25%14%15%
Tested219228213
California48%51%49%
Difference−2+17+8

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced31%40%35%
Advanced15%20%15%
Proficient16%20%20%
Developing level22%29%30%
Minimal47%31%35%
Tested219226214
California37%38%36%
Difference−6+2−1

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 6–8 · This school18%39%25%18%660
English, grades 6–8 · California19%30%23%28%1,254,039
English, grades 6–8 · Norwalk-La Mirada Unified17%32%23%28%3,150
Math, grades 6–8 · This school17%18%28%37%659
Math, grades 6–8 · California21%16%23%40%1,254,800
Math, grades 6–8 · Norwalk-La Mirada Unified17%16%26%41%3,148

Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined: 660 tested in English, 659 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here, at 69% of students. 101 of 710 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

14in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (101 of 710 students).

At the average Norwalk-La Mirada Unified middle school: 15 in 100. At the average California middle school: 18 in 100.

Suspensions: 1.7% of students were suspended at least once (12 of 714). Average California middle school 3.7%.

Students, 2024–25

718

students in grades 6–8.

Hispanic or Latino 69%White 12%Asian 7%Filipino 3%Two or more races 3%Black or African American 2%Not reported 2%

Family income

55%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 396 of 718. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

32

teachers, with 16 years of experience on average.

0% were in their first year.

86% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

English learners

38%

of English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026 (10 of 26 students).

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified: 44%. California: 47%.

It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Sources: California Department of Education and the California School Dashboard. Each tile names its year.

Missing school, by grade
Grade 6
10 in 100 students in grade 6 were chronically absent (23 of 228).
Grades 7–8
16 in 100 students in grades 7–8 were chronically absent (78 of 482).
Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
Hispanic or Latino69%
White12%
Asian7%
Filipino3%
Two or more races3%
Black or African American2%
Not reported2%
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count. English learner progress: California School Dashboard, 2026 . Student count: California Department of Education enrollment, 2024–25. Teachers: California Department of Education staffing files, 2024–25.

Teaching credentials: California’s School Accountability Report Card, 2024–25, measured in 2021–22: 23.6 of 27.4 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

Homeless students here scored well above the same group across California in math.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • Asian48 tested79%California 71%
  • White77 tested36%California 50%
  • Low-income414 tested30%California 26%
  • Homeless117 tested29%California 17%
  • Hispanic or Latino458 tested28%California 25%
  • Students with disabilities59 tested7%California 10%

29% of homeless students scored Proficient or Advanced in math (grades 6–8, spring 2026), against 17% for the same group across California. White students scored well below the same group across California in math. Every group’s English results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 6–8 math, spring 2026. Each group is compared with the same group in the same grades. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Every group’s results, with the district

Low-income is the state’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged” group.

Proficient or Advancedgrades 6–8 · spring 2026
Group and subjectHerevs Norwalk-La Mirada Unifiedvs California
Low-income · 414 tested
English53%+845%+1439%
Math30%+228%+426%
Hispanic or Latino · 458 tested
English54%+846%+1539%
Math28%−129%+325%
White · 77 tested
English55%−459%−762%
Math36%−339%−1450%
Asian · 48 tested
English90%+387%+1575%
Math79%+376%+871%
Students with disabilities · 59 tested
English19%+514%+514%
Math7%07%−310%
Homeless · 117 tested
English49%+940%+2227%
Math29%+524%+1217%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, and across California. ■ Green: a group that is behind across California does much better here, by 10 points or more and more than twice the margin of error.

Filipino students: fewer than 30 tested here. Students of two or more races, 36 tested in English and 35 in math: no rate for grade 8 in our records, and fewer than 30 tested in the grades with one. No published rate here for Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander and military-family students, English learners and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families can answer a short set of questions about Reginald M. Benton. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  2. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  3. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

Staff can’t answer for this school yet

We don’t check staff emails for Norwalk-La Mirada Unified yet. Tell us your district’s email domain and we’ll work on adding it.

Ask us to add your district

Money

Where does the money go?

$16,078 for each student in 2024–25. California’s middle schools spent $19,269 for each student. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s plan for 2026–27 covers $197 million.

$16,078

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$10,608
The school’s share of district office costs
$5,470
Of the total, from federal funds
$529
  • Reginald M. Benton$16,078
  • Norwalk-La Mirada Unified middle schools$17,441
  • California middle schools$19,269

The district and California figures combine their middle schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 1,241 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s yearly plan

$197million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$46million

planned for services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth

This is the district’s plan. It is not this school’s own budget. The plan has 5 goals. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $197 million of $319 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Norwalk-La Mirada Unified Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27. Read the district’s plan →

The neighborhood

What is the area around Reginald M. Benton like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 90638. They are not figures for the families at Reginald M. Benton.

Typical household income in a year

$109,649

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 90638.

Typical home value
$827,300
People who live in this ZIP code
45,933
Typical age
44.2 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
41%

What you can do

Who can act on Reginald M. Benton’s results?

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s board decides Reginald M. Benton’s plan.

When the plan is set

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified’s board must adopt its yearly plan (LCAP) by July 1, after at least one public hearing at an earlier meeting.

Read the 2026–27 plan (LCAP, PDF)

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

State support

The state hasn’t placed Reginald M. Benton in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 7 questions to Reginald M. Benton. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. What extra help do Hispanic students get, and how do you know it’s working?28% of Hispanic students scored Proficient or Advanced in math, grades 6–8, spring 2026 (458 students tested); the same group across California: 25%
  2. Which math courses can students take, and how are placements decided?
  3. Which electives and high-school transition supports are available?
  4. How does this approach show up in an ordinary lesson?From its own words, on how it teaches.
  5. Which grades take part in these programs, and how often?From its own words, on programs.

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

What comes after Reginald M. Benton, and how do I get in?

Ask Norwalk-La Mirada Unified which school serves your address. Next comes La Mirada High.

In the district’s boundaries, Reginald M. Benton Middle draws from 4 elementary schools. Boundaries split some neighborhoods. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level.

Elementary · fed by
Middle · this school
Reginald M. Benton Middle
High · next
La Mirada High Scope Score 81Solid · 74th percentile · 2025

Assigned

From the district’s 2026 attendance boundaries. Shares are our estimate of where the zone’s children live. We use 2020 Census child counts, or land area where few children were counted. A share counts children living in the zone, not a school’s enrolled students. A boundary doesn’t guarantee a place. Transfers, permits, magnets and other programs can change the path. Check your child’s address and current assignment with the district. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Elementary links

  • Eastwood Elementary

    Assigned

    Scope Score 80 · Solid · 72nd percentile · elementary · 2026

  • John Foster Dulles Elementary

    Assigned

    Scope Score 74 · Developing · 41st percentile · elementary · 2026

  • Foster Road Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 76 · Solid · 55th percentile · elementary · 2026

    60% of the zone’s children

  • La Pluma Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 75 · Developing · 47th percentile · elementary · 2026

    58% of the zone’s children

High-school links

  • La Mirada High

    Assigned

    Scope Score 81 · Solid · 74th percentile · high · 2025

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking.

Where the path ends: La Mirada High
La Mirada HighScope Score 81 · Solid · 74th percentile · 2025district-published assignment

The road from this school ends at La Mirada High. UC records 24 enrollees from La Mirada High for fall 2025. The AP Course Audit lists 22 AP courses its teachers are authorized to teach in 2025–26. Those figures come from dated records. A child starting here today would reach La Mirada High around 2029, and a school can change a lot in 3 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 60% of the students who finished high school at La Mirada High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.

24 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 22 authorized AP courses (AP Course Audit 2025–26) → full record on La Mirada High's page
Source: UC & College Board AP Course Ledger

Where it is

Where is Reginald M. Benton?

Address
15709 East Olive Branch Road, La Mirada 90638Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Robin RidgewayAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated February 9, 2023.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 7 common questions

How do I get in?

Ask Norwalk-La Mirada Unified which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Reginald M. Benton a good middle school?

Reginald M. Benton Middle has a Scope Score of 78. It scored higher than 68 in 100 of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools (Solid, 68th percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 14 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 15 in 100 at the average Norwalk-La Mirada Unified middle school. 1.7% of students (12 of 714) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. See the details ↓

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

In English, yes. In math, about the same. In 2025, students here in grades 6–8 scored 18 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Accelerated. In math, they scored 1 point higher, which the state calls Average.

  • Included in this measure: 666 students in English, 665 in math

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 53% of low-income students in grades 6–8 at Reginald M. Benton Middle in La Mirada scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 39% for the same group across California. See the details ↓

Where does it lead?

By the district’s published 2026 attendance boundaries, Reginald M. Benton Middle is zoned to La Mirada High. Boundaries change, are approximate at the edges and don’t guarantee placement, so confirm your address with the district.

  • La Mirada High: Scope Score 81, Solid, 74th percentile among California’s regular public and charter high schools, 2025 results

See the details ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 12 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
12
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2017–2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #801 of 2,529 California middle schools we score · #2 of 5 in Norwalk-La Mirada Unified
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math18%5042%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math46%5523%
8th graders in 2026 against 6th graders in 2024 (partly different children)+58 scale-score pts6320%
Chronically absent14 in 100555%
Suspension rate1.7% (12 of 714)585%
English learners: top level22%515%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. Growth is the change between the school's earlier and later grade-level groups, in scale-score points; it does not follow the same students.

Scope Score by year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–267868#801California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School yearChronic absenceSuspensionGrade gap (points)
2018–198 in 1007.8% (44 of 566)−5
2021–22not on filenot on file+10
2022–23not on filenot on file+3
2023–2416 in 1004.2% (31 of 740)+10
2024–2515 in 1002.0% (15 of 751)+8
2025–2614 in 1001.7% (12 of 714)+8

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 6 and grade 8 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).
No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series
Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresTop levelTop two levels
2026 · English66018%57%
2026 · Math65917%35%
2025 · English70722%58%
2025 · Math70316%33%
2024 · English69315%51%
2024 · Math68713%27%
2023 · English67315%46%
2023 · Math67412%24%
2022 · English61913%49%
2022 · Math61510%23%
2019 · English51515%52%
2019 · Math51710%28%
2018 · English52811%44%
2018 · Math5277%20%
2017 · English51013%49%
2017 · Math5119%26%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subjectStudents with scoresMet or exceeded
2025 · Grade 6 · English24152%
2025 · Grade 7 · English22761%
2025 · Grade 8 · English23962%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math24032%
2025 · Grade 7 · Math22628%
2025 · Grade 8 · Math23738%
2024 · Grade 6 · English23144%
2024 · Grade 7 · English24553%
2024 · Grade 8 · English21756%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math22820%
2024 · Grade 7 · Math24332%
2024 · Grade 8 · Math21628%
2023 · Grade 6 · English22840%
2023 · Grade 7 · English20844%
2023 · Grade 8 · English23752%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math22731%
2023 · Grade 7 · Math20917%
2023 · Grade 8 · Math23825%
2022 · Grade 6 · English18944%
2022 · Grade 7 · English22248%
2022 · Grade 8 · English20853%
2022 · Grade 6 · Math18616%
2022 · Grade 7 · Math21925%
2022 · Grade 8 · Math21027%
2019 · Grade 6 · English17056%
2019 · Grade 7 · English17146%
2019 · Grade 8 · English17454%
2019 · Grade 6 · Math17130%
2019 · Grade 7 · Math17231%
2019 · Grade 8 · Math17422%
2018 · Grade 6 · English18135%
2018 · Grade 7 · English16847%
2018 · Grade 8 · English17949%
2018 · Grade 6 · Math18013%
2018 · Grade 7 · Math16821%
2018 · Grade 8 · Math17926%
2017 · Grade 6 · English16345%
2017 · Grade 7 · English17053%
2017 · Grade 8 · English17749%
2017 · Grade 6 · Math16328%
2017 · Grade 7 · Math17122%
2017 · Grade 8 · Math17728%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide21212%27%51%9%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California
Group · EnglishTestedProficient or Advancedvs districtvs California
Low-income41453%+8+14
Hispanic or Latino45854%+8+15
White7755%−4−7
Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score
GroupEnglishnCDE categoryMathnCDE category
All students+18666Accelerated+1665Average
English-only students+20555not categorized0554not categorized
Hispanic or Latino+16467Accelerated−2465Average
Low-income+15370Accelerated−3371Average
White+2082Exceptional+1682Accelerated
Homeless+679Accelerated−279Average
English learners+467Average−667Moderate
Students with disabilities−564Average+164Average
Asian+3045Exceptional+845Accelerated
English learners only−1334not categorized−1634not categorized
Recently reclassified as fluent in English+2333not categorized+433not categorized
Filipino+3425Exceptional+1225Accelerated
Long-term English learners (grades 6–8 only)−123Average−623Moderate
Two or more races+1019Accelerated−819Moderate
Black or African American+317Average−1418Moderate

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. Long-term English learner counts cover grades 6–8 only (CDE’s rule), so that row is not comparable to the All students row. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 6–8. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure, and grade 8 against the same school’s grade 6 two years earlier, partly different children · two different measures

Grade 8 in 2026 against grade 6 in 2024 · English

English · 2024 · Grade 6
15%
exceeded standard · 44% met or exceeded
CDE CAASPP 2024 · 231 English test records with scores
English · 2026 · Grade 8
15%
Advanced · 57% Proficient or Advanced
CDE CAASPP 2026 · 213 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 214 (school-grade cohort proxy).

These paired percentages describe English results for grade groups at this school in two years. The groups are not matched students. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different school-level scale-score proxy across English and math; California's matched-student model is a separate measure.

California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English+18 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 6–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 6–8

666 students

CDE growth category: Accelerated

California growth model, English: +18 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Accelerated, against SchoolScope's −2-point median for California middle school records.

State model · math+1 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 6–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 6–8

665 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, math: +1 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, against SchoolScope's −3-point median for California middle school records.

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California middle school records, the median English estimate is −2 and the middle half fall between −10 and +5 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 6–8, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 15 in 100 → 2025–26 · 14 in 100 · −1 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 2.0% (15 of 751) → 2025–26 · 1.7% (12 of 714) · −0.3 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female8 in 10016 in 100+8 in 100
Male7 in 10012 in 100+5 in 100
Black or African American2 of 166 of 15—
Filipino0 of 191 of 23—
Hispanic or Latino7 in 10015 in 100+8 in 100
White9 of 9813 of 88—
Students with disabilities13 of 7516 of 71—
English learners3 of 277 of 33—
Homeless14 in 10022 in 100+8 in 100
Low-income9 in 10017 in 100+8 in 100
All students8 in 10014 in 100+6 in 100
Asian—5 of 51—
Two or more races—1 of 23—

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$14,885 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 16,209 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

School-level federal expenditures$228 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 718

Central federal expenditures attributed here$301 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 718

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,215 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

These figures are not directly comparable: school ESSA attributed spending and NCES district current expense use different measures and populations. Their fiscal years are labeled above.

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 59%Instruction support 12%Student services 11%Administration 6%Buildings & maintenance 11%Other 1%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$170,248,28458.62%59%
Instruction support$33,848,36411.65%12%
Student services$31,999,09411.02%11%
Administration$18,678,4206.43%6%
Buildings & maintenance$31,804,27010.95%11%
Other$3,858,1871.33%1%
Total$290,436,619100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $290,436,619 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$14,885 per pupil
2020$14,048 per pupil
2019$13,962 per pupil
2018$13,203 per pupil
2017$12,115 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders0.0%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 90638 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 90638 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$109,649
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)41%
ZIP-area population45,933
Median age44.2 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 90638 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

Embed this scorecard

<iframe
  src="https://schoolscope.co/embed/school/reginald-m-benton-middle-1125"
  width="100%" height="210" loading="lazy"
  style="border:0;border-radius:12px"
  title="Reginald M. Benton Middle — SchoolScope scorecard">
</iframe>

Free to embed with the credit link. Data updates automatically.

Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

How we analyzeRequest a correction