School Profile · Bakersfield
Sierra Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Sierra posts low test scores — and scores are climbing 4.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
3017 Center Street, 93306·Bakersfield City·Bakersfield·Grades 6-8·731 students·96% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 631-5470·Website
Scope Score
24
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,412 statewide · #3 of 7 in Bakersfield City
Sierra Middle scores 24 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 18th 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 “16% proficient” and call it done. Sierra deserves a closer read. The school sits in Bakersfield, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
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.
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.
20%
78%
Grade 6 · 22% proficient
23%
70%
Grade 7 · 30% proficient
23%
72%
Grade 8 · 28% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
2.8%
State 17.3%
14.5pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
15.7%
State 39.5%
23.8pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+4.6pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
18.7%
State 19.1%
0.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.8%
State 4.2%
1.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
23.0%
State 17.7%
5.3pp above 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 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
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
2 within ~3 mi · avg 22
Walter Stiern Middle
Bakersfield City · 2.2 mi
Needs Support
24/100
Washington Middle
Bakersfield City · 2.5 mi
Needs Support
20/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 42
Dr. Douglas K. Fletcher Elementary
Bakersfield City · 2 mi
Developing
43/100
Shirley Lane Elementary
Fairfax Elementary · 2.3 mi
Developing
42/100
Horace Mann Elementary
Bakersfield City · 0.5 mi
Developing
40/100
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 47
Highland High
Kern High · 2.2 mi
Solid
51/100
Foothill High
Kern High · 1.9 mi
Developing
45/100
East Bakersfield High
Kern High · 1 mi
Developing
44/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Columbus St · Roman Catholic · Grades Pre-K-8 · 297 students
14:1Private3.2 mi
Heritage Christian Schools
Bernard St · Lutheran (Missouri Synod) · Grades Pre-K-8 · 221 students
16:1Private1.5 mi
Our Lady of Guadalupe School
E California Ave · Roman Catholic · Grades Pre-K-8 · 181 students
10:1Private2.6 mi
Bakersfield Adventist Academy
Bernard St · Pentecostal · Grades Pre-K-12 · 128 students
13:1Private1.3 mi
Lifehouse Christian Academy
Manor St · Brethren · Grades Pre-K-11 · 115 students
14:1Private5.7 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic90.7%
White4.2%
Asian0.3%
Black2.9%
Other1.9%
GenderFemale 47.9%Male 52.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
731
129 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
96%
33pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,420
District avg: $15,168 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
23.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$59,232 – $118,012
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Sierra Middle in Bakersfield, 26.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sierra Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (27.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 671 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+9.9pp
28.6% vs 18.7% overall · n=35
Suspension · Homeless+4.7pp
10.5% vs 5.8% overall · n=38
ELA · Disabilities−26.7pp
0.0% vs 26.7% overall · n=43
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−4.7pp
0.0% vs 4.7% overall · n=43
Math · Disabilities−5.1pp
0.0% vs 5.1% overall · n=44
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income675 tested
ELA 26.7%·Math 5.0%· +1.2pp vs district
Hispanic634 tested
ELA 27.1%·Math 5.2%· -0.3pp vs district
English Learner165 tested
ELA 0.0%·Math 0.0%· -4.4pp 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 6.4pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -2.2pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$70K
$15K below CA median
Median Home Value
$321K
$338K below 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
10.7 years avg experience
38 teachers · 18% first-year · 8% second-year
Teacher Credentials
70% 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%
2.8%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
15.7%
↓ vs CA 39.5% · 32th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+4.6pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 46th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
18.7%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 51th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.8%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 44th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
23.0%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 56th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 133 | 2% | 20% | 29% | 49% | 22% | −25 |
| Grade 7 | 267 | 7% | 23% | 21% | 49% | 30% | −18 |
| Grade 8 | 294 | 5% | 23% | 26% | 47% | 28% | −19 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 134 | 1% | 2% | 13% | 84% | 3% | −32 |
| Grade 7 | 268 | 1% | 4% | 28% | 66% | 6% | −28 |
| Grade 8 | 296 | 1% | 5% | 18% | 76% | 6% | −26 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 294 | 2% | 13% | 70% | 15% |
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 | 671 | 26.7% | +1 | −12 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 630 | 27.1% | −0 | −12 |
| English Learners | 164 | 0.0% | −4 | −10 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Middle ← | — | 24 | 2.8% | 15.7% | +4.6 | 5.8% |
| Walter Stiern Middle | 2.2 mi | 24 | 3.4% | 16.4% | −3.2 | 2.8% |
| Washington Middle | 2.5 mi | 20 | 2.9% | 12.8% | −4.1 | 4.9% |
| 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 #1399 → #1608 → #1583 → #1510 → #1412
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 12 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 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 Sierra Middle a good middle school?
Sierra Middle has a Scope Score of 24 out of 100, placing it in the 18th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,412 statewide. 2.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.5 percentage points below 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 Sierra Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 15.7% of students at Sierra Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 12.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.8% 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. 1,392 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Sierra Middle rank in California?
Sierra Middle ranks #1,412 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 18th 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 Sierra Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Sierra Middle increases by 4.6 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 Sierra Middle?
18.7% of students at Sierra 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 5.8%. 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 Sierra Middle compare to other schools in Bakersfield?
Sierra Middle scores 24/100 (18th 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 731 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Sierra Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Sierra Middle in Bakersfield, 26.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sierra Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (27.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 671 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.