Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Summary:

Cesar E. Chavez Middle is a public middle school located in Watsonville, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 552 students. The school is part of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 1237 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cesar E. Chavez Middle consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of California middle schools, with 0 out of 5 SchoolDigger stars. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST exams is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 11.47% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 47.04% statewide. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 7.32%, compared to 35.54% statewide. The school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.1% in 2018-2019 to 40.5% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Cesar E. Chavez Middle to other middle schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, it consistently performs worse academically. For instance, Aptos Junior High, which is 7.32 miles away, outperforms Cesar E. Chavez Middle by a significant margin on Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST exams, with proficiency rates that are often more than twice as high. Additionally, Cesar E. Chavez Middle's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, who rank in the bottom 4% and 18% of California middle schools, respectively.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 440 Arthur Rd.
       Watsonville, CA  95076-3701


(831) 761-7699

District: Pajaro Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2682nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools


Students who attend Cesar E. Chavez Middle usually attend:

High:    Pajaro Valley High

Feeder schools for Cesar E. Chavez Middle:

Elementary:    H. A. Hyde Elementary
    Starlight Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  20.7 Help
Number of students:  547

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
97.3%
White:
2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cesar E. Chavez Middle ranks worse than 96.6% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 5th among 6 ranked middle schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.28. (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.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.3%), White (2.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 91.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cesar E. Chavez Middle is 20.7, which is the 3rd best among 6 middle schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cesar E. Chavez Middle employs 26.4 full-time teachers.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cesar E. Chavez Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Cesar E. Chavez Middle 2682nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Cesar E. Chavez Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Pajaro Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pajaro Valley Unified 1237th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cesar E. Chavez Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 23.34 1576th 1999 21.2%
2008 31.48 1387th 2005 30.8%
2009 30.00 1472nd 2063 28.6%
2010 31.83 1521st 2179 30.2%
2011 21.45 1867th 2236 16.5%
2012 28.28 1686th 2259 25.4%
2013 22.58 1932nd 2379 18.8%
2015 17.18 2111th 2477 14.8%
2016 16.38 2162nd 2497 13.4%
2017 14.52 2234th 2508 10.9%
2018 14.54 2190th 2480 11.7%
2019 14.06 2418th 2715 10.9%
2022 11.20 2602nd 2740 5.0%
2023 13.16 2582nd 2802 7.9%
2024 9.28 2682nd 2777 3.4%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.00 998th 1364 26.8%
2019 29.63 1141st 1442 20.9%
2022 32.13 1138th 1540 26.1%
2023 33.75 1045th 1529 31.7%
2024 30.43 1204th 1477 18.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.15 1348th 1538 12.4%
2024 22.44 1373rd 1550 11.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.79 1938th 2230 13.1%
2019 19.19 2048th 2369 13.6%
2022 13.51 2312th 2458 5.9%
2023 15.69 2334th 2549 8.4%
2024 10.90 2472nd 2575 4.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 14.08 90th 94 4.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 19.50 306th 336 8.9%
2023 25.23 265th 321 17.4%
2024 13.24 384th 394 2.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.76 2043rd 2262 9.7%
2019 12.75 2177th 2380 8.5%
2022 10.77 2404th 2509 4.2%
2023 13.54 2369th 2547 7.0%
2024 8.89 2496th 2546 2.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.98 855th 1369 37.5%
2019 25.16 1200th 1491 19.5%
2022 30.53 1043rd 1531 31.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.70 2028th 2273 10.8%
2019 15.44 2147th 2407 10.8%
2022 12.65 2383rd 2527 5.7%
2023 13.75 2351st 2558 8.1%
2024 10.18 2466th 2547 3.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.59 1765th 2072 14.8%
2019 18.79 1922nd 2213 13.1%
2022 14.26 2204th 2359 6.6%
2023 17.26 2123rd 2391 11.2%
2024 11.24 2288th 2383 4.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 4.05 1572nd 1602 1.9%
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.

Cesar E. Chavez Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cesar E. Chavez Middle

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2006 21 3 9 543 1 n/a n/a 0 577
2007 23 1 9 546 0 n/a n/a 0 579
2008 23 3 5 560 n/a n/a n/a 0 591
2009 21 3 4 536 2 0 0 0 566
2010 21 1 5 557 1 0 0 0 585
2011 18 2 4 572 0 0 0 0 596
2012 14 2 5 554 0 0 0 0 575
2013 13 1 3 528 0 0 0 0 545
2014 11 2 1 540 0 0 0 0 554
2015 13 4 1 576 0 0 0 0 594
2016 11 3 1 604 0 0 0 0 619
2017 20 2 2 622 0 0 0 0 646
2018 20 2 4 609 1 0 0 0 636
2019 26 1 3 610 1 0 0 0 641
2020 15 1 1 606 1 0 0 0 624
2021 17 0 1 592 0 0 0 0 610
2022 18 0 1 535 0 0 0 0 554
2023 20 0 1 531 0 0 0 0 552
2024 15 0 0 532 0 0 0 0 547

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 Cesar E. Chavez Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 577 16.8 34.3 74.2
2007 579 24.2 23.9 77.4
2008 591 29.0 20.4 76.5
2009 566 22.0 21.8 78.1
2010 585 22.0 26.5 88
2011 596 n/a n/a 87.2
2012 575 21.0 27.3 n/a
2013 545 21.0 25.9 93
2014 554 21.6 25.6 92.6
2015 594 18.0 33.0 90.7
2016 619 25.0 24.7 90.1
2017 646 26.0 24.8 89.5
2018 636 25.0 25.4 91.8
2019 641 24.0 26.7 93.3
2020 624 n/a n/a 90.2
2021 610 28.4 21.4 85.6
2022 554 26.6 20.8 90.1
2023 552 26.8 20.5 90.4
2024 547 26.4 20.7 91.8

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 Cesar E. Chavez Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 577 16.8 34.3 74.2
2007 579 24.2 23.9 77.4
2008 591 29.0 20.4 76.5
2009 566 22.0 21.8 78.1
2010 585 22.0 26.5 88
2011 596 n/a n/a 87.2
2012 575 21.0 27.3 n/a
2013 545 21.0 25.9 93
2014 554 21.6 25.6 92.6
2015 594 18.0 33.0 90.7
2016 619 25.0 24.7 90.1
2017 646 26.0 24.8 89.5
2018 636 25.0 25.4 91.8
2019 641 24.0 26.7 93.3
2020 624 n/a n/a 90.2
2021 610 28.4 21.4 85.6
2022 554 26.6 20.8 90.1
2023 552 26.8 20.5 90.4
2024 547 26.4 20.7 91.8

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.
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cesar E. Chavez 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 2418th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2582nd of 2802 Middle schools
 3.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)17.415.5
 1.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pajaro Valley Unified)28.121.6
 6.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)12.49.8
 2.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Pajaro Valley Unified)18.915
 3.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)30.914.6
 16.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pajaro Valley Unified)32.926.3
 6.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)12.19.8
 2.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Pajaro Valley Unified)20.417.3
 3.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)27.417.4
 10%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pajaro Valley Unified)31.126.2
 5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)9.712.1
 2.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Pajaro Valley Unified)20.415.1
 5.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Cesar E. Chavez Middle)13.99.7
 4.2%
   8th Grade Science (Pajaro Valley Unified)1815
 2.9%
   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 Students641552
 13.9%
African American10
 100%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian31
 66.7%
Hispanic610531
 13%
Pacific Islander00
White2620
 23.1%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients93.3%90.4%
 2.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Students at Cesar E. Chavez Middle are 97% Hispanic, 3% White.

Students who attend Cesar E. Chavez Middle usually go on to attend Pajaro Valley High

In the 2023-24 school year, 547 students attended Cesar E. Chavez Middle.

Cesar E. Chavez Middle ranks in the bottom 3.4% of California middle schools.


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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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