School Profile · South Gate
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Russell Westbrook Why Not? posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 5.2pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
2340 Firestone Boulevard, 90062 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles County Office of Education·South Gate·Grades 6-12·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(213) 745-4928·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
20
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #2,020 statewide · #12 of 12 in Los Angeles County Office of Education
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High scores 20 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 10th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “20% proficient” and call it done. Russell Westbrook Why Not? deserves a closer read. It sits at the 10th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
As a charter, Russell Westbrook Why Not? enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
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.
13%
83%
Grade 6 · 17% proficient
8%
30%
62%
Grade 7 · 38% proficient
16%
82%
Grade 8 · 18% proficient
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
4.8%
State 16.8%
12.0pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
20.4%
State 39.3%
18.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+5.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
47.0%
State 18.5%
28.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.1%
State 3.7%
2.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Path
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 42
Bunche Middle
Compton Unified · 2.5 mi
Developing
45/100
Alliance Kory Hunter Middle
Los Angeles Unified · 2.3 mi
Developing
41/100
Walnut Park Middle A School of Social Justice and
Los Angeles Unified · 1.1 mi
Developing
40/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic83.1%
Black16.1%
Other0.7%
GenderFemale 46.5%Male 53.5%
Resources & Access
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Per-Pupil Spending
$123,399
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$58,299 – $115,472
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Russell Westbrook Why Not? High in South Gate, 28.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Russell Westbrook Why Not? High trails its district average for low-income students by 9.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 28.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 224 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−28.5pp
3.3% vs 31.8% overall · n=34
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−8.5pp
0.0% vs 8.5% overall · n=34
Math · English Learner−13.7pp
5.8% vs 19.6% overall · n=35
Math Exceeded · English Learner−5.9pp
0.0% vs 5.9% overall · n=35
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income224 tested
ELA 28.7%·Math 19.1%· -9.4pp vs district
Hispanic193 tested
ELA 31.7%·Math 20.4%· -19.0pp vs district
English Learner35 tested
ELA 2.9%·Math 5.7%· -6.1pp 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 falls by 1.3pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$68K
$17K below CA median
Median Home Value
$711K
$52K above CA median
Bachelor's+
18%
17pp below 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
7.8 years avg experience
25 teachers · 12% first-year · 12% second-year
Teacher Credentials
62% fully credentialed
18.1% on intern/emergency permit
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%
4.8%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 37th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
20.4%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 35th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+5.2pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
47.0%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 10th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.1%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 60th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 46 | 4% | 13% | 24% | 59% | 17% | −29 |
| Grade 7 | 73 | 8% | 30% | 30% | 32% | 38% | −9 |
| Grade 8 | 83 | 2% | 16% | 28% | 54% | 18% | −28 |
| Grade 11 | 40 | 20% | 35% | 20% | 25% | 55% | +8 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 45 | 2% | 9% | 33% | 56% | 11% | −24 |
| Grade 7 | 72 | 4% | 13% | 38% | 46% | 17% | −17 |
| Grade 8 | 82 | 7% | 13% | 15% | 65% | 21% | −12 |
| Grade 11 | 40 | 10% | 20% | 35% | 35% | 30% | +7 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 123 | 2% | 7% | 74% | 18% |
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 | 224 | 28.7% | −9 | −10 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 193 | 31.7% | −19 | −7 |
| English Learners | 34 | 2.9% | −6 | −7 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook Why Not? High ← | — | 20 | 4.8% | 20.4% | +5.2 | 1.1% |
| Bunche Middle | 2.5 mi | 45 | 13.1% | 36.1% | +6.2 | 0.2% |
| Alliance Kory Hunter Middle | 2.3 mi | 41 | 11.1% | 35.5% | +5.7 | 2.9% |
| Walnut Park Middle A School of Social Justice and | 1.1 mi | 40 | 14.7% | 38.5% | +0.4 | 0.1% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
What we can't show
- — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Russell Westbrook Why Not? High a good middle school?
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High has a Scope Score of 20 out of 100, placing it in the 10th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #2,020 statewide. 4.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.0 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. 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 Russell Westbrook Why Not? High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 20.4% of students at Russell Westbrook Why Not? High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.8% 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. 401 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Russell Westbrook Why Not? High rank in California?
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High ranks #2,020 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 10th 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 Russell Westbrook Why Not? High getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Russell Westbrook Why Not? High increases by 5.2 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 Russell Westbrook Why Not? High?
47.0% of students at Russell Westbrook Why Not? High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 1.1%, 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 Russell Westbrook Why Not? High compare to other schools in South Gate?
Russell Westbrook Why Not? High scores 20/100 (10th 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. Use the schools in South Gate page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Russell Westbrook Why Not? High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Russell Westbrook Why Not? High in South Gate, 28.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Russell Westbrook Why Not? High trails its district average for low-income students by 9.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 28.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 224 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.