School Profile · Bakersfield
Washington Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Washington posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
1101 Noble Avenue, 93305·Bakersfield City·Bakersfield·Grades 6-8·639 students·91% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 631-5810·Website
Scope Score
20
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,562 statewide · #7 of 7 in Bakersfield City
Washington Middle scores 20 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 9th 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 “13% proficient” and call it done. Washington deserves a closer read. The school sits in Bakersfield, where four in five 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.
17%
78%
Grade 6 · 22% proficient
18%
77%
Grade 7 · 23% proficient
14%
83%
Grade 8 · 17% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
2.9%
State 17.3%
14.4pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
12.8%
State 39.5%
26.7pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-4.1pp
State +0.8pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
25.9%
State 19.1%
6.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
4.9%
State 4.2%
0.7pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.3%
State 17.7%
1.4pp 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 Feeder Path
▼
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
3 within ~3 mi · avg 21
Sierra Middle
Bakersfield City · 2.5 mi
Needs Support
24/100
Emerson Middle
Bakersfield City · 3.1 mi
Needs Support
20/100
Standard Middle
Standard Elementary · 2.4 mi
Needs Support
18/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 44
Downtown Elementary
Bakersfield City · 2.4 mi
Developing
48/100
Bessie E. Owens Elementary
Bakersfield City · 2.4 mi
Developing
43/100
Horace Mann Elementary
Bakersfield City · 2.1 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.
Stockdale Christian School
California Ave · Brethren · Grades Pre-K-8 · 423 students
15:1Private4.8 mi
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Columbus St · Roman Catholic · Grades Pre-K-8 · 297 students
14:1Private1 mi
Heritage Christian Schools
Bernard St · Lutheran (Missouri Synod) · Grades Pre-K-8 · 221 students
16:1Private1.1 mi
Our Lady of Guadalupe School
E California Ave · Roman Catholic · Grades Pre-K-8 · 181 students
10:1Private2.3 mi
Bakersfield Adventist Academy
Bernard St · Pentecostal · Grades Pre-K-12 · 128 students
13:1Private1.5 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic84.2%
White7.2%
Black7.0%
Other1.6%
GenderFemale 44.6%Male 55.2%Non-binary 0.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
639
221 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
91%
27pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,002
District avg: $15,168 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
16.3% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$59,232 – $118,012
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Washington Middle in Bakersfield, 20.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Washington Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (4.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (21.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.8 percentage points for black students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 586 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+37.1pp
63.0% vs 25.9% overall · n=27
Suspension · Homeless+12.3pp
17.2% vs 4.9% overall · n=29
ELA · Black−20.8pp
0.0% vs 20.8% overall · n=15
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Black−4.4pp
0.0% vs 4.4% overall · n=15
Math · Black−4.8pp
0.0% vs 4.8% overall · n=15
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income588 tested
ELA 20.0%·Math 4.4%· -5.5pp vs district
Hispanic527 tested
ELA 21.9%·Math 4.6%· -5.6pp vs district
English Learner112 tested
ELA 0.9%·Math 0.0%· -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 falls by 3.6pp 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
$43K
$42K below CA median
Median Home Value
$251K
$408K below CA median
Bachelor's+
9%
26pp 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
9.3 years avg experience
31 teachers · 10% first-year · 16% second-year
Teacher Credentials
56% fully credentialed
4.9% 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%
2.9%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
12.8%
↓ vs CA 39.5% · 30th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-4.1pp
↓ vs CA +0.8pp · 37th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
25.9%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 40th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.9%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 47th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.3%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 146 | 5% | 17% | 24% | 53% | 23% | −24 |
| Grade 7 | 245 | 5% | 18% | 20% | 58% | 23% | −25 |
| Grade 8 | 235 | 3% | 14% | 28% | 55% | 17% | −29 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 145 | 2% | 3% | 24% | 70% | 6% | −29 |
| Grade 7 | 247 | 2% | 4% | 23% | 71% | 6% | −28 |
| Grade 8 | 236 | 0% | 3% | 16% | 81% | 3% | −29 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 237 | 0% | 8% | 68% | 23% |
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 | 586 | 20.0% | −6 | −18 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 526 | 21.9% | −6 | −17 |
| English Learners | 112 | 0.9% | −4 | −10 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Middle ← | — | 20 | 2.9% | 12.8% | −4.1 | 4.9% |
| Sierra Middle | 2.5 mi | 24 | 2.8% | 15.7% | +4.6 | 5.8% |
| Emerson Middle | 3.1 mi | 20 | 3.2% | 15.7% | −3.3 | 9.3% |
| Standard Middle | 2.4 mi | 18 | 3.4% | 16.1% | −3.1 | 10.6% |
| 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 #1328 → #1626 → #1635 → #1660 → #1562
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 18 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 Washington Middle a good middle school?
Washington Middle has a Scope Score of 20 out of 100, placing it in the 9th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,562 statewide. 2.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.4 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 Washington Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.8% of students at Washington Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 9.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.9% 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. 1,254 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Washington Middle rank in California?
Washington Middle ranks #1,562 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 9th 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 Washington Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Washington Middle decreases by 4.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Washington Middle?
25.9% of students at Washington Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 4.9%. 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 Washington Middle compare to other schools in Bakersfield?
Washington Middle scores 20/100 (9th 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 639 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Washington Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Washington Middle in Bakersfield, 20.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Washington Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (4.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (21.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.8 percentage points for black students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 586 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.