How does Walter F. Dexter Middle compare to other middle schools in Whittier?

Walter F. Dexter Middle has a SchoolScope composite score of 36.2/100, placing it at the 32nd percentile statewide. 9% of students exceed standard, with a total of 1,222 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Walter F. Dexter Middle?

9.2% of students at Walter F. Dexter Middle exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 26.9% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Walter F. Dexter Middle?

29.0% of students at Walter F. Dexter Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Walter F. Dexter Middle

Q: Is Walter F. Dexter Middle improving or declining?

Walter F. Dexter Middle's proficiency rate increases by 0.7 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value over time.

Middle School

Whittier City WhittierLos Angeles County90601

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of middle schools

State Rank

of 1,714 California middle schools

School overview

Enrollment

627 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

21:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

87%

Teachers

30 full-time

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Increased

+7.4 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Increased

+3.3 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

13.5%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 74 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic92.0%

White4.5%

Asian0.2%

Black0.8%

Other2.5%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Walter F. Dexter Middle
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	9.2%
Met Standard	17.8%
Below Standard	73.1%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "27% proficient" for Walter F. Dexter Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

9.2% of students exceeded standard while 17.8% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 8.1 points below the state average of 17.3%. That's 12.2 points below the Whittier City district average of 21.3%. The 5 nearby schools within ~3 miles average 18.2% exceeded — 9.0 points higher. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Students here improve by 0.7 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance increased and Math increased year-over-year. 13.5% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 29.0%, above the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

9.2%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

26.9%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G6→G8)

+0.7pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

29.0%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

1.5%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

1,222

Across all grades & subjects

Grade trajectory

ELA Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

Math Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	205	8.8%	21.5%	28.3%	41.5%	30.2%
7th	203	10.8%	31.5%	19.7%	37.9%	42.4%
8th	203	10.3%	22.7%	26.1%	40.9%	33.0%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	205	4.9%	11.2%	26.3%	57.6%	16.1%
7th	203	12.3%	12.8%	27.1%	47.8%	25.1%
8th	203	7.9%	6.9%	20.7%	64.5%	14.8%

K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Elementary

Lou Henry Hoover School of Fin…

44.350th pctile

Zoned

Lydia Jackson College Preparat…

42.947th pctile

Zoned

Longfellow Elementary

48.462nd pctile

Zoned

Mill School and Technology Aca…

48.562nd pctile

Zoned

Orange Grove Elementary

42.947th pctile

Zoned

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Middle

Walter F. Dexter Middle

36.232nd pctile

This school

▼

High School

No feeder data available for this level

Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.