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Richard Henry Dana Middle · 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 16.8% 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 (opens in new tab)·Arcadia Unified·Arcadia·Grades 6-8·710 students·29% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(626) 821-8361
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope7143
% Exceeded44%17%
% Met+71%39%
Growth+1.2+1.5
Absence8.2%18.5%
Suspension0.9%3.7%
Scope Score
71
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #132 statewide · #1 of 4 in Arcadia Unified

Richard Henry Dana Middle scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 94th 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

CDE CAASPP 2025

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.

Richard Henry Dana's low-income kids hit 59.0% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has held the 94th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 71% meet the standard today, versus 75% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 679%74%70%70%73%
Grade 773%72%76%71%74%
Grade 875%79%70%75%75%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 672%71%68%64%68%
Grade 773%64%74%66%67%
Grade 881%75%70%74%68%

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.

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 16.8%
27.5pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+1.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
70.8%
State 39.3%
31.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
8.2%
State 18.5%
10.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 3.7%
2.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0%
State 18.0%
2.0pp 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.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 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.

All students at this school: 71% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 71%, district —, state 39%71%
AsianAsian: this school 80%, district 78%, state 72%80% · +9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 69%, district 69%, state 42%69% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 73%, district 72%, state 44%73% · +2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 57%, district 60%, state 32%57% · −14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 44%, state 32%41% · −30 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 53%, district 61%, state 56%53% · −17 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 26%, district 30%, state 11%26% · −45 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 20%, district 18%, state 15%20% · −50 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 80%, district 77%, state 56%80% · +9 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 72%, district 71%, state 65%72% · +1 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: 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 rises by 12.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +6.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 8.2%, district 6.1%, state 18.5%8.2% · −10.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 3.7%0.9% · −2.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–68.5%
Grades 7–87.8%

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 25:1, district 25:125:1
Teaching staff32 teachers
Avg. experience15.8 years
Fully credentialed90%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$76,742 – $152,165
Principal salary$185,068 – $230,863
Superintendent salary$379,384

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,164, CA average $14,815$16,164 · spent at this school
Federal share$310 per student

$310 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,100 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support8%
Student services8%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$12,687 per pupil
2019$12,180 per pupil
2018$12,188 per pupil
2017$11,607 per pupil
2016$10,971 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian66.9%
District 64.3% · CA 10.2%
Hispanic16.3%
District 17.6% · CA 56.1%
Other10.0%
District 9.5% · CA 9.0%
White6.3%
District 7.5% · CA 19.9%
Black0.4%
District 1.2% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 29.4% (34pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$124K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.26M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+56% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,582
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 56% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

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 94th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #132 statewide. 44.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 27.5 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 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 #132 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 94th 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 18.5%. 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 (94th 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.

Your other options

All schools in Arcadia →

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%
44.4%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 80th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+1.2pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 61th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
70.8%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 75th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
8.2%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 624440%33%16%11%73%+26
Grade 722738%35%16%11%74%+26
Grade 821335%40%16%9%75%+29
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625054%14%19%13%68%+33
Grade 724144%23%20%13%67%+33
Grade 821755%13%16%16%68%+36
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1121732%24%37%7%

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 Disadvantaged22259.0%−3+21
Asian45380.8%+3+6
Hispanic/Latino11547.8%−4+9
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Richard Henry Dana Middle ←—7144.4%70.8%+1.20.9%
Foothills Middle2 mi6746.3%73.4%−3.32.4%
First Avenue Middle0.9 mi6438.6%69.3%+6.90.7%
Clifton Middle2.4 mi5628.6%54.6%+3.94.1%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197497#6448.8%75.3%3.7%1.4%+2.8pp
20227496#8541.4%72.5%8.4%2.6%+4.0pp
20237394#12840.7%71.4%10.3%4.3%+0.9pp
20247294#12242.6%69.7%7.8%2.1%+7.4pp
20257194#13244.4%70.8%8.2%0.9%+1.2pp
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
Female3.5%9.0%+5.5pp
Male3.7%7.2%+3.5pp
Asian0.6%4.4%+3.8pp
Black/African American9.1%——
White0.0%9.7%+9.7pp
Hispanic/Latino12.9%19.7%+6.8pp
Students with Disabilities15.9%17.5%+1.6pp
English Learners2.5%10.0%+7.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged4.3%11.7%+7.4pp
All Students3.6%8.0%+4.4pp
Two or More Races—6.7%—
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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