School Profile · Arcadia
Richard Henry Dana Middle: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
Richard Henry Dana posts 44.4% exceeding the standard — versus 17.3% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.
1401 South First Avenue, 91006·Arcadia Unified·Arcadia·Grades 6-8·710 students·29% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(626) 821-8361
Scope Score
71
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #120 statewide · #1 of 4 in Arcadia Unified
Richard Henry Dana Middle scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd percentile of 1,714 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 “71% proficient” and call it done. Richard Henry Dana deserves a closer read. The school sits in Arcadia, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 44.4% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 17.3%.
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.
40%
33%
27%
Grade 6 · 73% proficient
38%
35%
27%
Grade 7 · 73% proficient
35%
40%
25%
Grade 8 · 75% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 4.5pp across grades; the floor rises 2.2pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
59.0%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Richard Henry Dana's most underrated number
59.0% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.
Richard Henry Dana low-income: 59.0%State low-income: 38.2%
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
44.4%
State 17.3%
27.0pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
70.8%
State 39.5%
31.3pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+1.2pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
8.2%
State 19.1%
10.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 4.2%
3.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0%
State 17.7%
2.3pp above 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
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
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 63
Foothills Middle
Arcadia Unified · 2 mi
Strong
70/100
First Avenue Middle
Arcadia Unified · 0.9 mi
Solid
65/100
Clifton Middle
Monrovia Unified · 2.4 mi
Solid
55/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 74
Camino Grove Elementary
Arcadia Unified · 0.6 mi
Strong
77/100
Highland Oaks Elementary
Arcadia Unified · 2.5 mi
Strong
76/100
Holly Avenue Elementary
Arcadia Unified · 1 mi
Solid
69/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
High Point Academy
Kinneloa Canyon Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-8 · 348 students
10:1Private5 mi
Clairbourn School
Huntington Dr · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-8 · 234 students
10:1Private3.3 mi
Walden School
S San Gabriel Blvd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-6 · 154 students
10:1Private4 mi
Barnhart School
W Colorado Blvd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-8 · 126 students
8:1Private1.6 mi
Arroyo Pacific Academy
N Santa Anita Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-12 · 123 students
10:1Private1.4 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic16.3%
White6.3%
Asian66.9%
Black0.4%
Other10.0%
GenderFemale 45.9%Male 54.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
710
150 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
29%
34pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,164
District avg: $12,687 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$76,742 – $152,165
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Richard Henry Dana Middle in Arcadia, 59.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 62.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Richard Henry Dana Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 3.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (55.1% Math proficient); Asian students (80.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 58.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 222 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Hispanic+11.5pp
19.7% vs 8.2% overall · n=117
ELA · English Learner−58.1pp
15.8% vs 73.9% overall · n=19
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−37.8pp
0.0% vs 37.8% overall · n=19
Math · Disabilities−44.1pp
23.5% vs 67.7% overall · n=17
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−39.2pp
11.8% vs 50.9% overall · n=17
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income227 tested
ELA 59.0%·Math 55.1%· -3.2pp vs district
Asian469 tested
ELA 80.8%·Math 78.7%· +3.2pp vs district
Hispanic115 tested
ELA 47.8%·Math 33.9%· -3.5pp 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 12.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +6.1pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$124K
$39K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.26M
$601K above CA median
Bachelor's+
56%
21pp 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
15.8 years avg experience
32 teachers · 3% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% 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%
44.4%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 78th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
70.8%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 74th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+1.2pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 62th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
8.2%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 52th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 244 | 40% | 33% | 16% | 11% | 73% | +26 |
| Grade 7 | 227 | 38% | 35% | 16% | 11% | 74% | +26 |
| Grade 8 | 213 | 35% | 40% | 16% | 9% | 75% | +29 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 250 | 54% | 14% | 19% | 13% | 68% | +33 |
| Grade 7 | 241 | 44% | 23% | 20% | 13% | 67% | +33 |
| Grade 8 | 217 | 55% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 68% | +36 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 217 | 32% | 24% | 37% | 7% |
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 | 222 | 59.0% | −3 | +21 |
| Asian | 453 | 80.8% | +3 | +6 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 115 | 47.8% | −4 | +9 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Henry Dana Middle ← | — | 71 | 44.4% | 70.8% | +1.2 | 0.9% |
| Foothills Middle | 2 mi | 70 | 46.3% | 73.4% | −3.3 | 2.4% |
| First Avenue Middle | 0.9 mi | 65 | 38.6% | 69.3% | +6.9 | 0.7% |
| Clifton Middle | 2.4 mi | 55 | 28.6% | 54.6% | +3.9 | 4.1% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #55 → #84 → #130 → #55 → #120
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Richard Henry Dana Middle a good middle school?
Richard Henry Dana Middle has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #120 statewide. 44.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 27.0 percentage points above the California average of 17.3%. 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 Richard Henry Dana Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 70.8% of students at Richard Henry Dana Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 44.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 44.4% 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. 1,392 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Richard Henry Dana Middle rank in California?
Richard Henry Dana Middle ranks #120 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 Richard Henry Dana Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Richard Henry Dana Middle increases by 1.2 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 Richard Henry Dana Middle?
8.2% of students at Richard Henry Dana Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Richard Henry Dana Middle compare to other schools in Arcadia?
Richard Henry Dana Middle scores 71/100 (93rd 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 710 students. Use the schools in Arcadia page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Richard Henry Dana Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Richard Henry Dana Middle in Arcadia, 59.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 62.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Richard Henry Dana Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 3.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (55.1% Math proficient); Asian students (80.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 58.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 222 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.