Summary:
The Santa Barbara Unified School District is home to 5 middle schools, serving students in grades 6-8. Based on the data analysis, two schools stand out as top performers - La Colina Junior High and Goleta Valley Junior High. These schools consistently outperform the district and state averages on standardized test scores, have lower chronic absenteeism rates, and are ranked among the top 20-25% of California middle schools by SchoolDigger.
In contrast, Santa Barbara Junior High and La Cumbre Junior High appear to be underperforming, with significantly lower test scores, higher chronic absenteeism, and lower SchoolDigger rankings. These schools also have higher rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting potential equity and access issues within the Santa Barbara Unified district. The virtual school, Alta Vista, struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism, raising questions about the effectiveness of virtual middle school education in this area.
Overall, the data highlights significant disparities in academic performance and student engagement within the Santa Barbara Unified School District's middle schools. La Colina Junior High and Goleta Valley Junior High stand out as the top-performing institutions, while the other schools in the district face challenges in providing equitable educational opportunities for all students.
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