John Adams Middle

Summary:

John Adams Middle is a public middle school located in Santa Monica, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 837 students. It is part of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, which is ranked 188 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John Adams Middle consistently ranks in the top 20% of California middle schools, with strong academic performance. The school's Smarter Balanced Assessments show that 61.84% of students are proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, and 43.28% in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state averages. John Adams Middle also excels in serving certain student subgroups, ranking in the top 100 California middle schools for African American and White students, and in the top 200 for Asian students. However, the school faces challenges with increasing chronic absenteeism and a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to nearby schools, Lincoln Middle, another public middle school in the same district, outperforms John Adams Middle across several academic metrics. In contrast, schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, such as Katherine Johnson STEM Academy and Marina del Rey Middle, have significantly lower academic performance compared to John Adams Middle.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 2425 16th St.
       Santa Monica, CA  90405-2621


(310) 452-2326

District: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
554th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,792 Help


Students who attend John Adams Middle usually attend:

High:    Santa Monica High

Feeder schools for John Adams Middle:

Elementary:    Edison Elementary
    Grant Elementary
    John Muir Elementary
    Will Rogers Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  18.8 Help
Number of students:  837

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.7%
White:
32.4%
African American:
10.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  38.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details John Adams Middle ranks better than 80.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.55. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.7%), White (32.4%), African American (10.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 38.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John Adams Middle is 18.8, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare John Adams Middle employs 44.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at John Adams Middle is $6,792. 1 middle schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John Adams Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks John Adams Middle 554th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See John Adams 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:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Santa Monica-Malibu Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Monica-Malibu Unified 188th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for John Adams Middle.

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Rank History for John Adams Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 56.93 640th 1769 63.8%
2005 53.82 721st 1777 59.4%
2006 52.56 764th 1804 57.6%
2007 57.23 736th 1999 63.2%
2008 63.37 630th 2005 68.6%
2009 65.07 625th 2063 69.7%
2010 66.25 634th 2179 70.9%
2011 65.77 665th 2236 70.3%
2012 61.67 782nd 2259 65.4%
2013 67.67 661st 2379 72.2%
2015 73.96 550th 2477 77.8%
2016 66.27 724th 2497 71.0%
2017 71.75 628th 2508 75.0%
2018 72.41 593rd 2480 76.1%
2019 72.26 644th 2715 76.3%
2022 79.78 484th 2740 82.3%
2023 80.98 468th 2802 83.3%
2024 76.55 554th 2777 80.1%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.44 195th 462 57.8%
2019 68.02 182nd 554 67.1%
2022 88.55 36th 665 94.6%
2023 91.70 22nd 678 96.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.11 201st 1364 85.3%
2019 40.89 656th 1442 54.5%
2022 45.69 583rd 1540 62.1%
2023 36.96 891st 1529 41.7%
2024 62.02 245th 1477 83.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 71.51 251st 1538 83.7%
2024 58.57 422nd 1550 72.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.26 666th 2230 70.1%
2019 56.38 840th 2369 64.5%
2022 62.75 673rd 2458 72.6%
2023 67.51 583rd 2549 77.1%
2024 59.53 763rd 2575 70.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.17 594th 2262 73.7%
2019 71.92 583rd 2380 75.5%
2022 79.40 444th 2509 82.3%
2023 73.71 547th 2547 78.5%
2024 76.91 497th 2546 80.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.49 201st 1369 85.3%
2019 76.38 217th 1491 85.4%
2022 59.30 415th 1531 72.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.69 558th 2273 75.5%
2019 69.10 630th 2407 73.8%
2022 76.91 495th 2527 80.4%
2023 83.68 365th 2558 85.7%
2024 73.12 558th 2547 78.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 74.98 175th 733 76.1%
2024 72.50 204th 741 72.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.69 189th 600 68.5%
2019 73.60 128th 643 80.1%
2022 85.75 58th 637 90.9%
2023 87.07 44th 614 92.8%
2024 77.63 99th 626 84.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.54 465th 2072 77.6%
2019 67.35 540th 2213 75.6%
2022 77.78 337th 2359 85.7%
2023 77.21 355th 2391 85.2%
2024 71.45 484th 2383 79.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at John Adams Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.44 229th 1496 84.7%
2019 78.96 280th 1602 82.5%
2022 83.68 172nd 1555 88.9%
2023 88.91 90th 1552 94.2%
2024 84.25 163rd 1535 89.4%
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.

John Adams 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: 2)
0%

0%

0%

100%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Open Quote JAMS, like all SMMUSD schools, has an amazing music program. Imagine a *middle* school with 3 bands, 3 orchestras and 3 choirs. The best of these groups would do any high school (besides SAMOHI) proud. The music program is the one bright spot in a school that, at best, isn't for everyone. Indeed, I'd give the school one star but for the music program. The highest achieving children of high-achieving parents with the luck to have developed the social skills and physical strength to navigate an unkind, ill-supervised "Lord of the Flies" social setting do well at JAMS. For the rest, there ain't much besides discouragement plus the odd bump and scrape or two. The biggest problem is the staff's bureaucratic manner. Eg, I tried to get a counselor to help me manage my 6th-grade child's homework amid a complicated block schedule and six teachers, and her response was to write a three-page CYA email to me, concluding that she declined to meet with me without "an administrator present", which struck me as odd, since *she* is an administrator! Those with little patience for pointless bureaucracy and entitled, do-it-my-way-or-take-a-hike teachers will not like this school. I plan to pull my child. Close Quote



Enrollment information for John Adams Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 326 86 36 343 1 n/a n/a 0 792
1989 294 84 43 332 1 n/a n/a 0 754
1990 260 93 43 342 1 n/a n/a 0 739
1991 214 98 50 318 2 n/a n/a 0 682
1992 203 105 44 337 2 n/a n/a 0 691
1993 241 105 42 319 1 n/a n/a 0 708
1994 251 122 38 370 2 n/a n/a 0 783
1995 301 118 49 352 2 n/a n/a 0 822
1996 301 118 49 352 2 n/a n/a 0 822
1997 349 112 51 365 2 n/a n/a 0 879
1998 396 120 43 397 14 n/a n/a 0 970
1999 453 132 45 463 4 n/a n/a 0 1097
2000 443 132 55 479 5 n/a n/a 0 1114
2001 450 140 54 521 2 n/a n/a 0 1167
2002 476 141 52 534 2 n/a n/a 0 1205
2003 476 141 52 534 2 n/a n/a 0 1205
2004 456 130 47 565 3 n/a n/a 0 1201
2005 416 116 47 559 3 n/a n/a 12 1153
2006 402 139 52 532 3 n/a n/a 20 1148
2007 357 135 43 494 3 n/a n/a 22 1054
2008 342 124 43 470 3 n/a n/a 0 982
2009 323 100 31 490 1 12 20 0 977
2010 301 93 34 520 1 6 61 0 1016
2011 282 95 34 566 0 4 61 0 1042
2012 287 99 34 562 1 5 66 0 1054
2013 277 97 33 516 0 2 69 0 994
2014 310 112 38 500 1 1 50 0 1012
2015 312 107 44 506 3 4 54 0 1030
2016 332 108 48 505 5 5 62 0 1065
2017 347 96 45 511 6 4 56 0 1065
2018 333 87 31 525 1 1 85 0 1063
2019 324 78 26 517 2 0 75 0 1022
2020 307 73 32 503 0 3 88 0 1006
2021 284 80 29 466 0 2 85 0 946
2022 254 86 37 414 1 2 54 3 851
2023 271 87 35 408 0 1 33 2 837

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 John Adams Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 792 37.1 21.3 n/a
1989 754 33.8 22.3 n/a
1990 739 33.9 21.7 n/a
1991 682 31.9 21.3 n/a
1992 691 32.4 21.3 43
1993 708 30.0 23.6 41
1994 783 35.8 21.9 35.9
1995 822 40.1 20.5 43.9
1996 822 40.1 20.5 43.9
1997 879 41.1 21.4 32.4
1998 970 46.5 20.9 44.9
1999 1097 46.6 23.5 43.8
2000 1114 51.2 21.8 37.7
2001 1167 54.0 21.6 37.5
2002 1205 56.0 21.5 39.5
2003 1205 56.0 21.5 39.5
2004 1201 56.5 21.3 39.6
2005 1153 53.0 21.8 39.4
2006 1148 60.9 18.9 41.5
2007 1054 59.4 17.7 44
2008 982 61.8 15.9 45.2
2009 977 46.7 17.1 46.1
2010 1016 46.8 21.7 49.1
2011 1042 n/a n/a 47.9
2012 1054 46.1 22.8 n/a
2013 994 46.3 21.4 47.9
2014 1012 46.2 21.8 41.7
2015 1030 46.0 22.3 45.1
2016 1065 48.0 22.1 43.3
2017 1065 49.0 21.7 40.8
2018 1063 48.1 22.0 39.6
2019 1022 46.1 22.1 39.5
2020 1006 n/a n/a 42.4
2021 946 44.1 21.4 33.4
2022 851 43.5 19.5 32
2023 837 44.4 18.8 38.5

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 John Adams Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 792 37.1 21.3 n/a
1989 754 33.8 22.3 n/a
1990 739 33.9 21.7 n/a
1991 682 31.9 21.3 n/a
1992 691 32.4 21.3 43
1993 708 30.0 23.6 41
1994 783 35.8 21.9 35.9
1995 822 40.1 20.5 43.9
1996 822 40.1 20.5 43.9
1997 879 41.1 21.4 32.4
1998 970 46.5 20.9 44.9
1999 1097 46.6 23.5 43.8
2000 1114 51.2 21.8 37.7
2001 1167 54.0 21.6 37.5
2002 1205 56.0 21.5 39.5
2003 1205 56.0 21.5 39.5
2004 1201 56.5 21.3 39.6
2005 1153 53.0 21.8 39.4
2006 1148 60.9 18.9 41.5
2007 1054 59.4 17.7 44
2008 982 61.8 15.9 45.2
2009 977 46.7 17.1 46.1
2010 1016 46.8 21.7 49.1
2011 1042 n/a n/a 47.9
2012 1054 46.1 22.8 n/a
2013 994 46.3 21.4 47.9
2014 1012 46.2 21.8 41.7
2015 1030 46.0 22.3 45.1
2016 1065 48.0 22.1 43.3
2017 1065 49.0 21.7 40.8
2018 1063 48.1 22.0 39.6
2019 1022 46.1 22.1 39.5
2020 1006 n/a n/a 42.4
2021 946 44.1 21.4 33.4
2022 851 43.5 19.5 32
2023 837 44.4 18.8 38.5

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 John Adams Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,792

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

Impact of COVID-19 on John Adams 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 644th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 468th of 2802 Middle schools
 7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (John Adams Middle)66.959.5
 7.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)72.669
 3.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (John Adams Middle)45.650.7
 5.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)55.455
 0.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (John Adams Middle)66.564.4
 2.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)71.671.5
 0.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (John Adams Middle)45.643
 2.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)56.954.6
 2.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (John Adams Middle)54.669
 14.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)67.771.4
 3.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (John Adams Middle)38.140.9
 2.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)53.948.8
 5.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (John Adams Middle)47.244.2
 3%
   8th Grade Science (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)55.555
 0.4%
   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 Students1022837
 18.1%
African American7887
 11.5%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian2635
 34.6%
Hispanic517408
 21.1%
Pacific Islander01
White324271
 16.4%
Two or More Races7533
 56%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients39.5%38.5%
 1.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about John Adams Middle

Students who attend John Adams Middle usually go on to attend Santa Monica High

Students at John Adams Middle are 49% Hispanic, 32% White, 10% African American, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

John Adams Middle ranks 554th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 837 students attended John Adams Middle.


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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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