Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Summary:

Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is a public middle school located in Palmdale, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 865 students. The school is part of the Palmdale Elementary District, which is ranked 1346 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cactus Medical consistently performs below the Palmdale Elementary district and the state of California in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels and end-of-course assessments. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's ELA proficiency rates ranged from 22.97% to 26.91%, compared to the district's 25.74% to 29.8% and the state's 45.82% to 47.19%. In Mathematics, Cactus Medical's proficiency rates were even lower, ranging from 6.44% to 12.37%, compared to the district's 11.99% to 16.62% and the state's 31.57% to 35.54%. Additionally, Cactus Medical has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.1% to 29.4% over the past several years, significantly higher than the state average. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 91.56% to 94.29% in recent years, indicating a high concentration of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other magnet schools in the Palmdale Elementary District, such as David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy, Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy, and Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Technical Magnet Academy, Cactus Medical performs significantly worse in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, as well as has higher chronic absenteeism rates and a higher percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients. The school's performance also lags behind even schools in other districts, such as High Desert in the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified District and Hillview Middle in the Westside Union Elementary District.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 3243 East Ave. R-8
       Palmdale, CA  93550-5690


(661) 273-0847

District: Palmdale Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2471st of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $1,067 Help


Feeder schools for Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy:

Elementary:    Mesquite Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  21.2 Help
Number of students:  865

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.5%
African American:
11.0%
White:
3.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy ranks worse than 89% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 4th among 5 ranked middle schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.03. (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 (81.5%), African American (11%), White (3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 91.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is 21.2. 2 middle schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy employs 40.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is $1,067, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy 2471st of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Palmdale Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmdale Elementary 1346th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 15.73 1553rd 1769 12.2%
2005 13.87 1592nd 1777 10.4%
2006 15.35 1588th 1804 12.0%
2007 11.07 1861st 1999 6.9%
2008 14.94 1800th 2005 10.2%
2009 11.91 1899th 2063 7.9%
2010 11.99 2019th 2179 7.3%
2011 23.13 1824th 2236 18.4%
2012 27.53 1720th 2259 23.9%
2013 20.71 1979th 2379 16.8%
2015 23.02 1899th 2477 23.3%
2016 16.49 2157th 2497 13.6%
2017 13.43 2264th 2508 9.7%
2018 11.19 2316th 2480 6.6%
2019 9.01 2583rd 2715 4.9%
2022 17.14 2347th 2740 14.3%
2023 17.48 2407th 2802 14.1%
2024 15.03 2471st 2777 11.0%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.22 1196th 1364 12.3%
2019 27.41 1266th 1442 12.2%
2022 40.21 757th 1540 50.8%
2023 28.31 1343rd 1529 12.2%
2024 34.39 991st 1477 32.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.90 1318th 1538 14.3%
2024 22.11 1385th 1550 10.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.41 2058th 2230 7.7%
2019 10.15 2260th 2369 4.6%
2022 23.46 1968th 2458 19.9%
2023 22.15 2089th 2549 18.0%
2024 18.24 2247th 2575 12.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.05 2095th 2262 7.4%
2019 9.95 2269th 2380 4.7%
2022 16.37 2214th 2509 11.8%
2023 14.83 2320th 2547 8.9%
2024 14.66 2303rd 2546 9.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.30 1240th 1369 9.4%
2019 18.98 1432nd 1491 4.0%
2022 21.54 1407th 1531 8.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.03 2182nd 2273 4.0%
2019 8.00 2340th 2407 2.8%
2022 18.55 2127th 2527 15.8%
2023 20.92 2055th 2558 19.7%
2024 15.68 2258th 2547 11.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.61 543rd 600 9.5%
2019 14.61 609th 643 5.3%
2022 24.54 513th 637 19.5%
2023 32.13 417th 614 32.1%
2024 25.86 484th 626 22.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.11 1923rd 2072 7.2%
2019 12.10 2084th 2213 5.8%
2022 24.98 1821st 2359 22.8%
2023 23.17 1903rd 2391 20.4%
2024 19.37 2031st 2383 14.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.62 1235th 1496 17.4%
2019 6.98 1533rd 1602 4.3%
2024 3.39 1519th 1535 1.0%
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.

Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy 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 Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 373 2 21 33 0 n/a n/a 0 429
1989 505 16 11 40 1 n/a n/a 0 573
1990 778 32 14 82 0 n/a n/a 0 906
1991 933 38 9 103 2 n/a n/a 0 1085
1992 884 71 15 117 0 n/a n/a 0 1087
1993 892 73 16 134 0 n/a n/a 0 1115
1994 789 87 20 247 9 n/a n/a 0 1152
1995 700 159 45 351 10 n/a n/a 0 1265
1996 700 159 45 351 10 n/a n/a 0 1265
1997 709 210 33 391 10 n/a n/a 0 1353
1998 596 218 32 396 3 n/a n/a 0 1245
1999 568 232 30 439 4 n/a n/a 16 1289
2000 481 258 37 504 6 n/a n/a 14 1300
2001 426 268 32 578 8 n/a n/a 12 1324
2002 310 370 37 512 12 n/a n/a 104 1345
2003 310 370 37 512 12 n/a n/a 104 1345
2004 231 244 28 570 4 n/a n/a 28 1105
2005 216 259 30 696 6 n/a n/a 17 1224
2006 162 212 26 720 5 n/a n/a 30 1155
2007 105 185 24 755 3 n/a n/a 32 1104
2008 79 195 21 766 3 n/a n/a 0 1064
2009 71 196 24 731 4 0 38 0 1064
2010 67 186 27 729 4 1 20 0 1034
2011 60 163 28 751 2 3 23 0 1030
2012 77 192 20 826 5 3 19 0 1142
2013 60 187 9 764 5 0 20 0 1045
2014 48 163 12 670 4 1 18 0 916
2015 54 149 13 635 9 0 10 0 870
2016 51 151 16 589 13 0 3 0 823
2017 40 135 10 637 10 0 4 0 836
2018 41 128 6 676 2 0 2 0 855
2019 42 134 10 724 9 1 6 0 926
2020 40 132 6 694 5 1 2 0 880
2021 29 122 8 695 6 0 6 0 866
2022 19 118 4 714 8 1 11 0 875
2023 26 95 10 705 8 2 19 0 865

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 Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 429 19.0 22.5 n/a
1989 573 22.0 26.0 n/a
1990 906 31.8 28.4 n/a
1991 1085 37.9 28.6 n/a
1992 1087 38.5 28.2 19.8
1993 1115 36.0 31.0 23
1994 1152 38.0 30.3 32
1995 1265 40.5 31.2 39.1
1996 1265 40.5 31.2 39.1
1997 1353 42.1 32.1 44.3
1998 1245 45.0 27.7 51.5
1999 1289 47.0 27.4 57.3
2000 1300 49.0 26.5 70.1
2001 1324 58.0 22.8 68.5
2002 1345 63.0 21.3 78.5
2003 1345 63.0 21.3 78.5
2004 1105 54.0 20.5 72.6
2005 1224 53.0 23.1 68.2
2006 1155 48.0 24.1 74.8
2007 1104 47.0 23.5 78.9
2008 1064 50.0 21.3 66.4
2009 1064 47.0 20.5 80.7
2010 1034 40.0 25.8 73.2
2011 1030 n/a n/a 69.7
2012 1142 50.2 22.7 n/a
2013 1045 48.2 21.6 84.5
2014 916 42.2 21.7 87.2
2015 870 42.0 20.7 86.7
2016 823 40.0 20.5 89.1
2017 836 41.3 20.2 87.4
2018 855 38.5 22.1 89.5
2019 926 39.7 23.3 88.4
2020 880 n/a n/a 94.2
2021 866 40.7 21.2 93.1
2022 875 40.3 21.6 94.3
2023 865 40.7 21.2 91.6

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 Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 429 19.0 22.5 n/a
1989 573 22.0 26.0 n/a
1990 906 31.8 28.4 n/a
1991 1085 37.9 28.6 n/a
1992 1087 38.5 28.2 19.8
1993 1115 36.0 31.0 23
1994 1152 38.0 30.3 32
1995 1265 40.5 31.2 39.1
1996 1265 40.5 31.2 39.1
1997 1353 42.1 32.1 44.3
1998 1245 45.0 27.7 51.5
1999 1289 47.0 27.4 57.3
2000 1300 49.0 26.5 70.1
2001 1324 58.0 22.8 68.5
2002 1345 63.0 21.3 78.5
2003 1345 63.0 21.3 78.5
2004 1105 54.0 20.5 72.6
2005 1224 53.0 23.1 68.2
2006 1155 48.0 24.1 74.8
2007 1104 47.0 23.5 78.9
2008 1064 50.0 21.3 66.4
2009 1064 47.0 20.5 80.7
2010 1034 40.0 25.8 73.2
2011 1030 n/a n/a 69.7
2012 1142 50.2 22.7 n/a
2013 1045 48.2 21.6 84.5
2014 916 42.2 21.7 87.2
2015 870 42.0 20.7 86.7
2016 823 40.0 20.5 89.1
2017 836 41.3 20.2 87.4
2018 855 38.5 22.1 89.5
2019 926 39.7 23.3 88.4
2020 880 n/a n/a 94.2
2021 866 40.7 21.2 93.1
2022 875 40.3 21.6 94.3
2023 865 40.7 21.2 91.6

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 Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $1,067

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet 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 2583rd of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2407th of 2802 Middle schools
 9.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)16.120.5
 4.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palmdale Elementary)25.124.4
 0.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)6.47.2
 0.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Palmdale Elementary)11.711.4
 0.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)17.428.1
 10.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palmdale Elementary)30.830.9
 0.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)8.79.3
 0.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Palmdale Elementary)17.114.5
 2.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)25.226.5
 1.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palmdale Elementary)32.530.1
 2.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)9.112.4
 3.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Palmdale Elementary)15.210.7
 4.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy)5.112
 7%
   8th Grade Science (Palmdale Elementary)11.912.8
 0.9%
   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 Students926865
 6.6%
African American13495
 29.1%
American Indian98
 11.1%
Asian1010
Hispanic724705
 2.6%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White4226
 38.1%
Two or More Races619
 216.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.4%91.6%
 3.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy

Students at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy are 82% Hispanic, 11% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy ranks in the bottom 11.0% of California middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 865 students attended Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy.


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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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