Sierra Middle

Summary:

Sierra Middle is a public middle school located in Stockton, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 572 students. It is part of the Lincoln Unified School District, which is ranked 945 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Sierra Middle performs on par with or slightly above the district and state averages in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, but lags behind in Science and Spanish. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with relatively strong results for African American and Hispanic students, but struggles with Asian, Multi-racial, and Military Connected students, as well as English Language Learners, Special Education, and Disabled students. One concerning trend is the significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.6% in 2017-2018 to 30.4% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Sierra Middle performs on par with or slightly better than Millswood Middle and Morada Middle in the Lodi Unified School District, but lags behind the high-performing Elkhorn school. The charter school, Aspire Benjamin Holt Middle, also outperforms Sierra Middle in both academic achievement and student group performance.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 6768 Alexandria Pl.
       Stockton, CA  95207-3407


(209) 953-8748

District: Lincoln Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1222nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $4,163 Help


Students who attend Sierra Middle usually attend:

High:    Lincoln High

Feeder schools for Sierra Middle:

Elementary:    John R. Williams
    Lincoln Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  23.5 Help
Number of students:  572

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
56.6%
White:
17.0%
African American:
10.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sierra Middle ranks better than 56% of middle schools in California. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.71. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sierra Middle is $4,163.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sierra Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Middle 1222nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Sierra Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Lincoln Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Lincoln Unified 945th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sierra Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 52.18 736th 1769 58.4%
2005 44.40 907th 1777 49.0%
2006 47.73 864th 1804 52.1%
2007 54.70 791st 1999 60.4%
2008 56.95 762nd 2005 62.0%
2009 60.40 735th 2063 64.4%
2010 72.95 485th 2179 77.7%
2011 74.55 426th 2236 80.9%
2012 73.75 483rd 2259 78.6%
2013 58.42 927th 2379 61.0%
2015 66.65 725th 2477 70.7%
2016 61.29 836th 2497 66.5%
2017 61.34 858th 2508 65.8%
2018 56.55 931st 2480 62.5%
2019 52.47 1090th 2715 59.9%
2021 45.81 434th 894 51.5%
2022 50.45 1163rd 2740 57.6%
2023 48.86 1201st 2802 57.1%
2024 47.71 1222nd 2777 56.0%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.30 369th 462 20.1%
2019 35.17 388th 554 30.0%
2023 26.11 512th 678 24.5%
2024 24.24 548th 699 21.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.06 320th 1364 76.5%
2019 50.48 419th 1442 70.9%
2021 35.65 249th 363 31.4%
2022 40.12 759th 1540 50.7%
2023 47.25 511th 1529 66.6%
2024 39.11 770th 1477 47.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.10 883rd 1538 42.6%
2024 30.98 1058th 1550 31.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.85 868th 2230 61.1%
2019 47.18 1101st 2369 53.5%
2021 49.12 309th 721 57.1%
2022 50.48 1008th 2458 59.0%
2023 48.58 1071st 2549 58.0%
2024 47.00 1135th 2575 55.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.87 961st 2262 57.5%
2019 52.57 995th 2380 58.2%
2021 47.23 342nd 738 53.7%
2022 54.88 944th 2509 62.4%
2023 55.39 929th 2547 63.5%
2024 49.88 1058th 2546 58.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.51 749th 1369 45.3%
2019 40.08 745th 1491 50.0%
2021 40.18 181st 354 48.9%
2022 52.84 511th 1531 66.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 16.48 169th 197 14.2%
2024 22.50 142nd 191 25.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.61 832nd 2273 63.4%
2019 49.11 1041st 2407 56.8%
2021 43.49 390th 763 48.9%
2022 45.16 1185th 2527 53.1%
2023 41.37 1303rd 2558 49.1%
2024 43.46 1241st 2547 51.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.89 574th 700 18.0%
2019 26.27 586th 745 21.3%
2022 13.97 634th 733 13.5%
2023 18.45 600th 718 16.4%
2024 24.67 575th 741 22.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.96 288th 600 52.0%
2019 59.80 227th 643 64.7%
2022 58.89 212th 637 66.7%
2023 47.25 284th 614 53.7%
2024 53.97 239th 626 61.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.38 614th 2072 70.4%
2019 56.14 772nd 2213 65.1%
2022 57.98 780th 2359 66.9%
2023 52.66 903rd 2391 62.2%
2024 53.37 898th 2383 62.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.41 692nd 1496 53.7%
2019 45.01 869th 1602 45.8%
2022 53.55 702nd 1555 54.9%
2023 58.29 610th 1552 60.7%
2024 51.86 709th 1535 53.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

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





Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, June 21, 2019

Open Quote This school is the best kept secret in the district! All 4 of my children attended SMS and they all had a fabulous experience. Not only were they fully nurtured to be the compassionate, creative, and smart people that they are, but they were encouraged to find their individual voices! The Honors US History teacher and her class were phenomenal. The other parents and I felt like we were getting this amazing lesson in civics and action together with our kids. All the teachers are great and each of my children miss Sierra Middle School and count that experience as a defining moment in their lives.
By the time they left SMS, My kids were fully prepared for the rigor and demands of high school. Sierra gave them the confidence, knowledge, and skills to tackle anything that came their way. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 290 30 97 56 0 n/a n/a 0 473
1989 299 24 102 63 0 n/a n/a 0 488
1990 268 34 95 61 0 n/a n/a 0 458
1991 268 30 72 72 1 n/a n/a 0 443
1992 270 48 110 77 1 n/a n/a 0 506
1993 289 49 127 89 0 n/a n/a 0 554
1994 300 51 138 94 2 n/a n/a 0 585
1995 281 57 133 69 0 n/a n/a 0 540
1996 281 57 133 69 0 n/a n/a 0 540
1997 238 73 113 94 5 n/a n/a 0 523
1998 232 62 114 95 4 n/a n/a 0 507
1999 247 61 103 103 4 n/a n/a 0 518
2000 252 64 88 121 0 n/a n/a 0 525
2001 270 70 73 135 2 n/a n/a 1 551
2002 235 64 103 137 3 n/a n/a 0 542
2003 235 64 103 137 3 n/a n/a 0 542
2004 210 74 99 145 0 n/a n/a 2 530
2005 208 78 69 173 3 n/a n/a 0 531
2006 212 82 70 166 2 n/a n/a 1 533
2007 202 68 74 177 3 n/a n/a 3 527
2008 209 67 92 183 2 n/a n/a 0 553
2009 221 70 96 168 4 6 3 0 568
2010 220 80 93 191 6 11 2 0 603
2011 233 60 99 212 4 9 10 0 627
2012 235 39 93 217 6 9 9 0 608
2013 243 57 86 250 7 7 5 0 655
2014 237 69 82 238 4 5 6 0 641
2015 203 71 90 254 4 9 9 0 640
2016 215 74 97 240 4 8 10 0 648
2017 208 75 85 272 2 4 19 0 665
2018 188 69 74 283 8 5 31 0 658
2019 155 77 81 280 9 5 35 0 642
2020 133 83 84 302 3 8 26 0 639
2021 117 71 85 317 1 9 21 0 621
2022 107 60 70 283 1 7 27 0 555
2023 97 58 55 324 1 2 35 0 572

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 Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 473 21.4 22.1 n/a
1989 488 20.2 24.1 n/a
1990 458 19.3 23.7 n/a
1991 443 17.9 24.7 n/a
1992 506 18.2 27.8 26.3
1993 554 21.7 25.5 28.5
1994 585 23.0 25.4 36.8
1995 540 23.0 23.5 46.9
1996 540 23.0 23.5 46.9
1997 523 24.0 21.8 45.7
1998 507 23.0 22.0 37.9
1999 518 22.0 23.5 39.8
2000 525 22.0 23.9 39.2
2001 551 22.0 25.0 36.4
2002 542 24.2 22.4 36
2003 542 24.2 22.4 36
2004 530 25.0 21.2 41.5
2005 531 23.8 22.3 44.4
2006 533 23.8 22.4 41.5
2007 527 23.8 22.1 42.4
2008 553 28.0 19.8 45.2
2009 568 24.4 19.7 47.7
2010 603 25.0 24.1 49.3
2011 627 n/a n/a 50.7
2012 608 28.2 21.5 48
2013 655 27.6 23.7 52.1
2014 641 26.2 24.4 59.4
2015 640 27.0 23.7 55.2
2016 648 25.0 25.9 58.6
2017 665 26.0 25.5 55.6
2018 658 25.2 26.0 58.8
2019 642 24.4 26.3 58.4
2020 639 n/a n/a 61.3
2021 621 25.3 24.5 64.4
2022 555 26.0 21.3 55.1
2023 572 24.2 23.5 73.3

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 Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 473 21.4 22.1 n/a
1989 488 20.2 24.1 n/a
1990 458 19.3 23.7 n/a
1991 443 17.9 24.7 n/a
1992 506 18.2 27.8 26.3
1993 554 21.7 25.5 28.5
1994 585 23.0 25.4 36.8
1995 540 23.0 23.5 46.9
1996 540 23.0 23.5 46.9
1997 523 24.0 21.8 45.7
1998 507 23.0 22.0 37.9
1999 518 22.0 23.5 39.8
2000 525 22.0 23.9 39.2
2001 551 22.0 25.0 36.4
2002 542 24.2 22.4 36
2003 542 24.2 22.4 36
2004 530 25.0 21.2 41.5
2005 531 23.8 22.3 44.4
2006 533 23.8 22.4 41.5
2007 527 23.8 22.1 42.4
2008 553 28.0 19.8 45.2
2009 568 24.4 19.7 47.7
2010 603 25.0 24.1 49.3
2011 627 n/a n/a 50.7
2012 608 28.2 21.5 48
2013 655 27.6 23.7 52.1
2014 641 26.2 24.4 59.4
2015 640 27.0 23.7 55.2
2016 648 25.0 25.9 58.6
2017 665 26.0 25.5 55.6
2018 658 25.2 26.0 58.8
2019 642 24.4 26.3 58.4
2020 639 n/a n/a 61.3
2021 621 25.3 24.5 64.4
2022 555 26.0 21.3 55.1
2023 572 24.2 23.5 73.3

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 Sierra Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $4,163

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Sierra Middle

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 1090th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 1201st of 2802 Middle schools
 2.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sierra Middle)56.947.7
 9.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Lincoln Unified)53.846.9
 6.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Middle)32.327.8
 4.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Unified)35.428
 7.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sierra Middle)52.749.4
 3.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Lincoln Unified)51.245.4
 5.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Middle)30.326.3
 3.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Unified)28.321.7
 6.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Sierra Middle)2920.7
 8.3%
   8th Grade Science (Lincoln Unified)27.723.4
 4.2%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students642572
 10.9%
African American7758
 24.7%
American Indian91
 88.9%
Asian8155
 32.1%
Hispanic280324
 15.7%
Pacific Islander52
 60%
White15597
 37.4%
Two or More Races3535
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients58.4%73.3%
 14.8%


Schools Near Sierra Middle









Frequently Asked Questions about Sierra Middle

Students who attend Sierra Middle usually go on to attend Lincoln High

In the 2022-23 school year, 572 students attended Sierra Middle.

Sierra Middle ranks 1222nd of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Sierra Middle are 57% Hispanic, 17% White, 10% African American, 10% Asian, 6% Two or more races.


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