Summary:
The Palm Springs Unified school district in California is home to 5 middle schools serving grades 6-8. These schools face significant challenges, with wide disparities in academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism across the district.
The top-performing middle school in the district is James Workman Middle, which has the highest overall test scores in English Language Arts, Math, and Science compared to its peers. It also holds the district's highest statewide ranking, placing in the top 55% of California middle schools. In contrast, other schools like Painted Hills Middle lag significantly behind, with proficiency rates 8-15 percentage points lower than the state averages.
A major challenge facing all of these middle schools is extremely high chronic absenteeism, ranging from 29% to over 50% of students. Additionally, 97-99% of students across the district qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. These factors likely contribute to the overall low academic performance, and targeted interventions to improve attendance and provide additional support for economically disadvantaged students could be crucial for boosting outcomes in Palm Springs Unified.
Thank you for your feedback!