Is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy a good school?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks 1830 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 106 students attended Katherine Johnson STEM Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

Students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy are 100% Not Specified.

What high school do graduates of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy attend?

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually go on to attend WESM Health/Sports Medicine

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Summary:

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy is a public middle school located in Los Angeles, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 106 students. The school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is ranked 871 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger.

Despite being a STEM-focused school, Katherine Johnson STEM Academy consistently performs below the Los Angeles Unified and California state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in ELA and Math were around 26% and 28%, respectively, compared to the district's 43% and 33% and the state's 47% and 36%. The school's performance in Science (CAST) is also significantly lower, with only 6.82% proficiency compared to the district's 24% and the state's 31%. Additionally, Katherine Johnson STEM Academy has experienced a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.5% in 2017-2018 to 20.3% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district's average of 18.7%.

Interestingly, nearby schools such as Mark Twain Middle and Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet generally perform better than Katherine Johnson STEM Academy in academic assessments and have lower chronic absenteeism rates. Furthermore, the Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle, located within a similar distance, demonstrates significantly higher academic performance, with proficiency rates in the 80% range for ELA and around 50% for Math. This suggests that the charter school model may be providing a more effective educational environment for students in the area.

Detail:

Public 6-8

8701 Parkhill Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90045-3437

(323) 673-1230

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1830^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,502

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually attend:

High:

WESM Health/Sports Medicine

Feeder schools for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy:

Elementary:	Kentwood Elementary
	Loyola Village Fine And Performing Arts Magnet
	Paseo del Rey Fundamental
	Playa Vista Elementary
	More...
	Westport Heights Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 106

Racial breakdown:

Not Specified:

100.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Katherine Johnson STEM Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks worse than 65.9% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 46^th among 83 ranked middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.5. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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.

Student Body

Compare Details Katherine Johnson STEM Academy has the smallest middle school student body size in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details 50% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy is 12.2, which is the 2^nd best among 83 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Katherine Johnson STEM Academy employs 8.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy is $15,502, which is the 4^th highest among 83 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Katherine Johnson STEM Academy 1830^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Katherine Johnson STEM Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Los Angeles Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Los Angeles Unified 871^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

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Rank History for all students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	39.27	1475^th	2715	45.7%
2022	33.94	1654^th	2740	39.6%
2023	34.97	1632^nd	2802	41.8%
2024	29.50	1830^th	2777	34.1%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	44.60	670^th	1550	56.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	34.70	1502^nd	2369	36.6%
2022	32.82	1584^th	2458	35.6%
2023	41.90	1268^th	2549	50.3%
2024	38.30	1441^st	2575	44.0%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	40.71	1303^rd	2380	45.3%
2022	33.75	1532^nd	2509	38.9%
2023	25.58	1862^nd	2547	26.9%
2024	43.08	1250^th	2546	50.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	56.98	443^rd	1491	70.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	37.37	1396^th	2407	42.0%
2022	34.41	1496^th	2527	40.8%
2023	43.00	1263^rd	2558	50.6%
2024	23.72	1927^th	2547	24.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	44.76	327^th	643	49.1%
2022	49.15	273^rd	637	57.1%
2023	32.59	414^th	614	32.6%
2024	29.98	442^nd	626	29.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	29.63	1638^th	2359	30.6%
2023	58.40	761^st	2391	68.2%
2024	46.59	1079^th	2383	54.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	39.63	957^th	1602	40.3%

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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, May 17, 2020

KJ Stem is a hidden gem of a middle school that every family should consider. Principal Hunsberger and the staff have a clear enthusiasm for their students and find creative ways to teach and challenge them. We rate this school so highly on the everyday efforts of the instructors among many other positives. The school size gives an ideal ratio of instructor to student support and the school continues to grow extracurricular activities to meet the students’ interests. My son receives the resources and assistance that he needs to be successful. He has been thriving every day as a part of this school and we are very happy to be there! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 6, 2020

KJ STEM Academy has been a great option for my high-performing kid who is in the honors/GATE program including LAUSD's Accelerated Math track. She continues to be above grade-level, and has increased her test scores in Math since starting 6th grade. The teachers force students to think critically and creatively and all kids are enrolled in a STEM elective. In partnership with LMU, the school has a very progressive curriculum and a strong social-emotional pedagogy. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2018	19	54	7	21	1	1	8	0	111
2019	42	73	8	35	0	1	0	0	159
2020	38	78	7	30	1	2	9	0	165
2021	32	51	11	36	1	0	11	0	142
2022	12	33	4	39	2	1	13	0	104
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	106	106

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 Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	111	6.0	18.5	46.8
2019	159	8.0	19.8	54.7
2020	165	n/a	n/a	53.9
2021	142	8.0	17.7	55.6
2022	104	7.0	14.8	60.6
2023	106	8.6	12.2	50

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 Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	111	6.0	18.5	46.8
2019	159	8.0	19.8	54.7
2020	165	n/a	n/a	53.9
2021	142	8.0	17.7	55.6
2022	104	7.0	14.8	60.6
2023	106	8.6	12.2	50

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 Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,502

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

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 1475^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1632^nd of 2802 Middle schools	3.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	35.2	29.7	5.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	41.2	38.6	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	24.1	29.7	5.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	32.5	28.1	4.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	40.3	39.4	0.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	43.7	40.8	2.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	34.9	36.4	1.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	30.5	27.5	3%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	50	41.2	8.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	41.1	38.9	2.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	30	11.4	18.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	29.2	23.7	5.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Katherine Johnson STEM Academy)	33.3	2.9	30.5%
8th Grade Science (Los Angeles Unified)	23.1	20.9	2.2%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	159	106	33.3%
African American	73	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	8	0	100%
Hispanic	35	0	100%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	42	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	54.7%	50%	4.7%

Schools Near Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)				CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Katherine Johnson STEM Academy	Public	6-8	8701 Parkhill Dr.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 673-1230	106	9	12.2	50.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.5	1830^th of 2777 public middle schools	34.1%		35	1632^nd of 2802 public middle schools	41.8%	198					6.8	6.8	20.9	25.6	31.8	26.2	21.4	34.1	29.6	28.5	$15,502
Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet	Public	6-8	6550 West 80th St.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 258-6600	403	23	17.4	75.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.4	2149^th of 2777 public middle schools	22.6%		28.8	1866^th of 2802 public middle schools	33.4%	283				8.3	17.8	17.8	22.5	30.6	33.6	28.4	11.6	17.0	14.0	14.2	$13,152
Marina del Rey Middle	Public	6-8	12500 Braddock Dr.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 578-2700	412	26	16.0	90.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.1	2387^th of 2777 public middle schools	14.0%		12.4	2621^st of 2802 public middle schools	6.5%	234					8.6	8.6	29.7	21.9	23.3	24.8	18.6	9.3	7.7	11.7	$13,837
ICEF Vista Middle Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	4471 Inglewood Blvd.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	ICEF Vista Middle Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 298-6405	209	12	17.8	95.7%	3 (1.4%)	7 (3.3%)	198 (94.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.7	690^th of 2777 public middle schools	75.2%		63.1	817^th of 2802 public middle schools	70.8%	127					25.3	25.3	49.2	51.8	68.7	58.1	35.6	48.2	51.8	46.0
El Segundo Middle	Public	6-8	332 Center St.	El Segundo	90245	Los Angeles County	El Segundo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 615-2690	819	37	21.8	9.6%	364 (44.4%)	27 (3.3%)	195 (23.8%)	87 (10.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	143 (17.5%)	92.4	216^th of 2777 public middle schools	92.2%		93.8	182^nd of 2802 public middle schools	93.5%	34					43.8	43.8	71.3	81.4	70.9	74.7	61.4	73.1	61.7	65.6	$8,702
Mark Twain Middle	Public	6-8	2224 Walgrove Ave.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 305-3100	896	44	20.5	55.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66.1	759^th of 2777 public middle schools	72.7%		63.2	814^th of 2802 public middle schools	70.9%	55	14.0	4.0	19.2	11.3	33.7	33.7	54.1	48.0	51.6	51.2	44.6	39.8	38.9	41.2	$11,686
Culver City Middle	Public	6-8	4601 Elenda St.	Culver City	90230	Los Angeles County	Culver City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 842-4200	1,583	68	23.4	40.4%	391 (24.7%)	204 (12.9%)	590 (37.3%)	168 (10.6%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	224 (14.2%)	77.7	532^nd of 2777 public middle schools	80.8%		77.7	538^th of 2802 public middle schools	80.8%	6					48.9	48.9	55.4	61.5	58.0	58.3	45.4	47.2	42.7	45.1	$4,857
Lennox Middle	Public	6-8	11033 Buford Ave.	Lennox	90304	Los Angeles County	Lennox	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 419-1800	1,250	69	18.2	93.4%	4 (0.3%)	11 (0.9%)	1,222 (97.8%)	7 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	37.9	1529^th of 2777 public middle schools	44.9%		34.8	1637^th of 2802 public middle schools	41.6%	108		10.0		10.0	16.3	16.3	35.9	44.8	39.4	40.3	21.3	26.2	24.1	24.0	$9,571
Crozier (George W.) Middle	Public	7-8	1210 West Regent St.	Inglewood	90301	Los Angeles County	Inglewood Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 680-5280	306	16	19.6	81.4%	0 (0.0%)	116 (37.9%)	181 (59.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	18.4	2317^th of 2777 public middle schools	16.6%		16.2	2458^th of 2802 public middle schools	12.3%	141					10.7	10.7		31.6	22.8	27.0		16.2	6.0	10.8
Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	830 North La Brea Ave.	Inglewood	90302	Los Angeles County	Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 671-5578	195	10	19.5	44.1%	0 (0.0%)	168 (86.2%)	20 (10.3%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	88.9	300^th of 2777 public middle schools	89.2%		88.6	315^th of 2802 public middle schools	88.8%	15					42.2	42.2	69.7	89.1	82.8	80.4	50.0	56.3	51.6	52.6

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Los Angeles Unified:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for all students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Special Education students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Female students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Disabled students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Male students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for African American students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rank History for White students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

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