Cooley Middle School

Summary:

Cooley Middle School is a public middle school in Gilbert, Arizona, serving 873 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Higley Unified School District, which is ranked 75 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Cooley Middle School consistently performs well on state assessments, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that exceed the state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 54% of 7th-grade students and 42% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 41% and 35%, respectively. In Mathematics, 39% of 7th-graders and 36% of 8th-graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 30% and 28%. The school has also maintained very low dropout rates, ranging from 0.1% to 0.9% over the past several years, which is significantly lower than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, Cooley Middle School generally performs better than the average middle school in the Mesa Unified District, but lags behind some of the higher-performing schools in the Gilbert Unified District, such as South Valley Junior High and Greenfield Junior High. Overall, Cooley Middle School appears to be a solid-performing school that is providing a quality education to its diverse student population.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1100 S Recker Rd
       Gilbert, AZ  85296-1432


(480) 279-8300

District: Higley Unified School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
191st of 533 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,360 Help


Students who attend Cooley Middle School usually attend:

High:    Williams Field High School

Feeder schools for Cooley Middle School:

Elementary:    Chaparral Elementary School
    Coronado Elementary School
    Gateway Pointe Elementary
    Higley Traditional Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  17.0 Help
Number of students:  873

Racial breakdown:

White:
54.3%
Hispanic:
26.5%
African American:
8.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cooley Middle School ranks better than 64.2% of middle schools in Arizona. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.82. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (54.3%), Hispanic (26.5%), African American (8.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 23.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cooley Middle School is 17. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cooley Middle School employs 51.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cooley Middle School is $6,360.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cooley Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cooley Middle School 191st of 533 Arizona public middle schools. (See Cooley Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Higley Unified School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Higley Unified School District 75th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Cooley Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 69.01 140th 521 73.1%
2016 85.42 84th 677 87.6%
2017 88.86 58th 695 91.7%
2018 79.09 128th 711 82.0%
2019 75.96 130th 605 78.5%
2021 78.11 152nd 832 81.7%
2022 64.44 191st 605 68.4%
2023 68.43 207th 854 75.8%
2024 56.82 191st 533 64.2%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.63 5th 43 88.4%
2019 48.79 9th 14 35.7%
2021 58.00 200th 650 69.2%
2022 43.33 149th 211 29.4%
2023 33.25 283rd 384 26.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 56.82 51st 606 91.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.93 32nd 178 82.0%
2019 56.93 2nd 5 60.0%
2021 59.01 138th 789 82.5%
2023 25.90 279th 363 23.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.48 65th 503 87.1%
2022 44.05 186th 369 49.6%
2023 58.02 214th 717 70.2%
2024 38.69 160th 314 49.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 45.07 93rd 257 63.8%
2023 82.43 5th 64 92.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.65 132nd 624 78.8%
2019 72.94 109th 466 76.6%
2021 77.11 150th 820 81.7%
2022 55.70 202nd 494 59.1%
2023 65.14 220th 806 72.7%
2024 42.88 196th 379 48.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 31.16 129th 166 22.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 45.28 82nd 143 42.7%
2022 47.57 37th 68 45.6%
2023 35.04 84th 110 23.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.52 127th 617 79.4%
2019 67.73 125th 435 71.3%
2021 77.74 144th 818 82.4%
2022 59.69 168th 476 64.7%
2023 67.11 211th 810 74.0%
2024 51.69 154th 356 56.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.97 38th 42 9.5%
2019 16.90 29th 31 6.5%
2021 64.73 131st 404 67.6%
2022 55.99 78th 192 59.4%
2023 65.05 70th 247 71.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.89 19th 125 84.8%
2019 77.94 2nd 9 77.8%
2021 53.60 174th 573 69.6%
2023 33.83 263rd 400 34.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.15 108th 543 80.1%
2019 69.60 89th 387 77.0%
2021 70.61 145th 802 81.9%
2022 50.74 172nd 392 56.1%
2023 54.00 277th 760 63.6%
2024 50.31 120th 322 62.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.21 64th 390 83.6%
2023 78.88 25th 159 84.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 52.02 40th 108 63.0%
2023 38.79 11th 19 42.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Cooley Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.88 154th 436 64.7%
2019 62.74 111th 337 67.1%
2021 73.92 149th 780 80.9%
2022 51.43 218th 446 51.1%
2023 61.75 215th 675 68.1%
2024 39.80 164th 273 39.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Cooley Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

by a parent
Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Open Quote Please do not send your child here if they have any mental health or social issues! This school is wholly unprepared to meet the needs of children who dont fit their definition of "normal." They intentionally agitated a child then suspended him for a mental health crisis they handled wrong. They set them up to fail then punish them for failing. Irresponsible and disappointing on every level. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Cooley Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2014 624 50 46 168 13 3 24 0 928
2015 611 47 40 176 6 4 31 0 915
2016 660 50 35 178 9 3 24 0 959
2017 637 49 36 168 10 5 31 0 936
2018 542 44 35 172 7 4 40 0 844
2019 538 40 41 196 13 6 45 0 879
2020 536 53 43 223 14 4 55 0 928
2021 480 54 46 228 9 3 70 0 890
2022 477 71 49 211 8 3 57 0 876
2023 474 71 37 231 9 5 46 0 873

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cooley Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 928 46.3 20.0 24.6
2015 915 39.0 23.4 23.7
2016 959 38.0 25.2 9.6
2017 936 41.5 22.5 23.4
2018 844 41.4 20.3 21.9
2019 879 37.6 23.3 25.9
2020 928 42.6 21.7 21.9
2021 890 48.2 18.4 n/a
2022 876 49.4 17.7 8.2
2023 873 51.1 17.0 23.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cooley Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 928 46.3 20.0 24.6
2015 915 39.0 23.4 23.7
2016 959 38.0 25.2 9.6
2017 936 41.5 22.5 23.4
2018 844 41.4 20.3 21.9
2019 879 37.6 23.3 25.9
2020 928 42.6 21.7 21.9
2021 890 48.2 18.4 n/a
2022 876 49.4 17.7 8.2
2023 873 51.1 17.0 23.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cooley Middle School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $42 (0.5%) $50 (0.6%) $133 (1.6%) $6,109 (71.6%) $2,326 (27.3%) $8,435 (98.9%) $8,527
2020 $80 (1.2%) $319 (4.7%) $480 (7.1%) $5,480 (80.8%) $907 (13.4%) $6,386 (94.1%) $6,786
2021 $592 (9.9%) $115 (1.9%) $1,300 (21.7%) $4,939 (82.4%) $348 (5.8%) $5,287 (88.2%) $5,994
2022 $203 (3.2%) $85 (1.3%) $491 (7.7%) $5,417 (85.2%) $654 (10.3%) $6,071 (95.5%) $6,360

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cooley Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 130th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 207th of 854 Middle schools
 2.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students879873
 0.7%
African American4071
 77.5%
American Indian139
 30.8%
Asian4137
 9.8%
Hispanic196231
 17.9%
Pacific Islander65
 16.7%
White538474
 11.9%
Two or More Races4546
 2.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients25.9%23.9%
 2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cooley Middle School

Students who attend Cooley Middle School usually go on to attend Williams Field High School

Students at Cooley Middle School are 54% White, 26% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 873 students attended Cooley Middle School.

Cooley Middle School ranks 191st of 533 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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