Joel P. Jensen Middle

Summary:

Joel P. Jensen Middle is a public middle school in West Jordan, Utah, serving around 801 students in grades 7-9. The school is part of the Jordan School District, which is ranked 52 out of 98 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby middle schools, Joel P. Jensen Middle has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (42.45%) and Pacific Islander (4.49%) students. However, the school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Utah middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years. Its proficiency rates on RISE/Utah Aspire Plus assessments are significantly lower than the Jordan District and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, the school has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (around 40%), indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families, and a relatively high student-teacher ratio of around 20-21 students per teacher.

Joel P. Jensen Middle's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, from 139 out of 172 Utah middle schools in 2017-2018 to 184 out of 210 in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school's academic performance is not keeping pace with other middle schools in the state. When analyzing the school's performance by student subgroups, Joel P. Jensen Middle ranks particularly low for Hispanic students and English Language Learners, indicating significant achievement gaps for these populations. In comparison, the nearby middle schools, such as Mountain Creek Middle, South Jordan Middle, and Elk Ridge Middle, consistently outperform Joel P. Jensen Middle on academic measures and have higher statewide rankings.


Detail:

Public 7-9

 8105 S 3200 W
       West Jordan, UT  84088


(801) 412-2850

District: Jordan District

SchoolDigger Rank:
184th of 210 Utah Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,280 Help


Students who attend Joel P. Jensen Middle usually attend:

High:    West Jordan High

Feeder schools for Joel P. Jensen Middle:

Elementary:    Antelope Canyon Elementary
    Columbia School
    Copper Canyon School
    Oquirrh School

Student/teacher ratio:  20.6 Help
Number of students:  801

Racial breakdown:

White:
44.3%
Hispanic:
42.4%
Two or more races:
4.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  39.3% Help


 See top rated Utah middle schools

 Compare Joel P. Jensen Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Joel P. Jensen Middle ranks worse than 87.6% of middle schools in Utah. It also ranks 9th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Jordan District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.61. (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 Joel P. Jensen Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Jordan District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joel P. Jensen Middle is $8,280, which is the 2nd highest among 10 middle schools in the Jordan District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Joel P. Jensen Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Joel P. Jensen Middle 184th of 210 Utah public middle schools. (See Joel P. Jensen Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Jordan District:

SchoolDigger ranks Jordan District 52nd of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Joel P. Jensen Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Joel P. Jensen Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 35.44 162nd 200 19.0%
2009 34.66 167th 205 18.5%
2010 22.12 177th 201 11.9%
2011 20.57 203rd 222 8.6%
2012 22.67 210th 238 11.8%
2013 28.02 201st 243 17.3%
2014 9.67 169th 185 8.6%
2015 26.74 163rd 210 22.4%
2016 14.24 183rd 209 12.4%
2017 12.49 185th 206 10.2%
2018 19.28 139th 172 19.2%
2019 18.48 182nd 222 18.0%
2021 11.25 193rd 213 9.4%
2022 18.16 170th 209 18.7%
2023 13.74 187th 216 13.4%
2024 12.61 184th 210 12.4%
See the entire list of Utah Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Joel P. Jensen Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 24.29 43rd 46 6.5%
2023 23.84 42nd 46 8.7%
2024 23.44 50th 54 7.4%
See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Joel P. Jensen Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 19.34 110th 133 17.3%
2023 10.50 131st 138 5.1%
2024 11.52 132nd 141 6.4%
See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Joel P. Jensen Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 18.94 93rd 100 7.0%
2023 16.12 94th 99 5.1%
2024 16.57 96th 106 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Joel P. Jensen Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 35.29 130th 191 31.9%
2023 26.58 150th 191 21.5%
2024 23.49 149th 183 18.6%
See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board 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.

Joel P. Jensen Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Utah State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Friday, June 1, 2018

Open Quote wonderul! they let you explore during summer to find your classes before school starts. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Open Quote Joke of a school led by a spineless, unethical principal. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Joel P. Jensen Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1164 2 36 71 6 n/a n/a 0 1279
1989 1260 1 29 69 10 n/a n/a 0 1369
1990 1123 3 21 66 10 n/a n/a 0 1223
1991 1153 1 32 75 15 n/a n/a 0 1276
1992 1204 9 34 79 11 n/a n/a 0 1337
1993 1233 5 35 84 16 n/a n/a 0 1373
1994 1375 6 42 94 11 n/a n/a 0 1528
1995 1259 4 36 78 4 n/a n/a 0 1381
1996 1259 4 36 78 4 n/a n/a 0 1381
1997 1185 7 37 77 6 n/a n/a 0 1312
1998 1112 5 40 89 6 n/a n/a 0 1252
1999 1055 8 33 91 4 n/a n/a 0 1191
2000 1049 13 30 79 3 n/a n/a 0 1174
2001 1040 13 34 93 4 n/a n/a 0 1184
2002 965 7 40 127 5 n/a n/a 0 1144
2003 965 7 40 127 5 n/a n/a 0 1144
2004 943 4 44 123 7 n/a n/a 0 1121
2005 845 6 41 143 4 n/a n/a 0 1039
2006 782 7 32 118 5 n/a n/a 0 944
2007 730 12 28 122 5 n/a n/a 0 897
2008 745 15 39 139 2 n/a n/a 3 943
2009 653 17 33 131 2 n/a n/a 4 840
2010 584 12 34 137 3 n/a n/a 13 783
2011 502 13 16 227 3 15 33 0 809
2012 463 17 16 210 4 28 31 0 769
2013 492 22 19 204 3 26 20 0 786
2014 490 8 13 222 9 29 26 0 797
2015 508 14 9 215 4 26 29 0 805
2016 499 7 9 255 2 28 41 0 841
2017 517 10 13 263 5 30 35 0 873
2018 507 9 11 275 3 35 34 0 874
2019 496 10 10 300 5 36 47 0 904
2020 435 8 13 365 7 22 46 0 896
2021 414 12 15 365 7 22 45 0 880
2022 382 13 14 334 6 34 37 0 820
2023 355 10 16 340 5 36 39 0 801

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 Joel P. Jensen Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1279 57.8 22.1 n/a
1989 1369 59.0 23.2 n/a
1990 1223 51.2 23.8 16.5
1991 1276 51.1 24.9 15
1992 1337 53.0 25.2 17.9
1993 1373 56.5 24.3 19.3
1994 1528 59.0 25.9 20.5
1995 1381 58.4 23.6 17.1
1996 1381 58.4 23.6 17.1
1997 1312 55.6 23.6 12.3
1998 1252 52.6 23.8 11.7
1999 1191 56.0 21.3 21.7
2000 1174 53.3 22.0 21.4
2001 1184 48.0 24.7 22.9
2002 1144 49.8 23.0 25.9
2003 1144 49.8 23.0 25.9
2004 1121 46.3 24.2 28.2
2005 1039 44.7 23.2 34.7
2006 944 44.0 21.5 34.9
2007 897 39.6 22.7 0
2008 943 35.1 26.9 30.4
2009 840 63.1 23.1 36.4
2010 783 34.9 22.4 56.8
2011 809 31.1 25.9 56
2012 769 31.7 24.2 75.8
2013 786 33.4 23.5 94.5
2014 797 34.9 22.7 57.6
2015 805 n/a n/a 48.4
2016 841 n/a n/a 48.6
2017 873 34.9 24.9 49.8
2018 874 n/a n/a 51.1
2019 904 40.6 22.2 49.3
2020 896 44.0 20.3 51.3
2021 880 n/a n/a 44.5
2022 820 42.3 19.3 36
2023 801 38.7 20.6 39.3

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 Joel P. Jensen Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1279 57.8 22.1 n/a
1989 1369 59.0 23.2 n/a
1990 1223 51.2 23.8 16.5
1991 1276 51.1 24.9 15
1992 1337 53.0 25.2 17.9
1993 1373 56.5 24.3 19.3
1994 1528 59.0 25.9 20.5
1995 1381 58.4 23.6 17.1
1996 1381 58.4 23.6 17.1
1997 1312 55.6 23.6 12.3
1998 1252 52.6 23.8 11.7
1999 1191 56.0 21.3 21.7
2000 1174 53.3 22.0 21.4
2001 1184 48.0 24.7 22.9
2002 1144 49.8 23.0 25.9
2003 1144 49.8 23.0 25.9
2004 1121 46.3 24.2 28.2
2005 1039 44.7 23.2 34.7
2006 944 44.0 21.5 34.9
2007 897 39.6 22.7 0
2008 943 35.1 26.9 30.4
2009 840 63.1 23.1 36.4
2010 783 34.9 22.4 56.8
2011 809 31.1 25.9 56
2012 769 31.7 24.2 75.8
2013 786 33.4 23.5 94.5
2014 797 34.9 22.7 57.6
2015 805 n/a n/a 48.4
2016 841 n/a n/a 48.6
2017 873 34.9 24.9 49.8
2018 874 n/a n/a 51.1
2019 904 40.6 22.2 49.3
2020 896 44.0 20.3 51.3
2021 880 n/a n/a 44.5
2022 820 42.3 19.3 36
2023 801 38.7 20.6 39.3

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 Joel P. Jensen Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $772 (9.3%) $7,508 (90.7%) $8,280

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Joel P. Jensen 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 182nd of 222 Middle schoolsRanks 187th of 216 Middle schools
 4.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Joel P. Jensen Middle)34.929.9
 5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Jordan District)45.541
 4.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)44.141.4
 2.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Joel P. Jensen Middle)31.424.2
 7.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Jordan District)44.643.3
 1.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Utah)45.244.9
 0.3%
7th Grade Science (Joel P. Jensen Middle)29.529.3
 0.2%
   7th Grade Science (Jordan District)47.844.1
 3.7%
   7th Grade Science (Utah)44.545.5
 1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Joel P. Jensen Middle)28.323.7
 4.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Jordan District)46.140.7
 5.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)43.341.8
 1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Joel P. Jensen Middle)25.522.1
 3.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Jordan District)42.434
 8.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Utah)42.738.2
 4.5%
8th Grade Science (Joel P. Jensen Middle)34.127
 7.1%
   8th Grade Science (Jordan District)56.949.5
 7.4%
   8th Grade Science (Utah)49.248.5
 0.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Joel P. Jensen Middle)30.226.7
 3.5%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Jordan District)49.745.2
 4.5%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)48.244
 4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Joel P. Jensen Middle)16.513.1
 3.4%
   9th Grade Mathematics (Jordan District)44.732.4
 12.3%
   9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)43.632.8
 10.8%
9th Grade Science (Joel P. Jensen Middle)26.921.1
 5.8%
   9th Grade Science (Jordan District)3940.4
 1.4%
   9th Grade Science (Utah)36.238.1
 1.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students904801
 11.4%
African American1010
American Indian55
Asian1016
 60%
Hispanic300340
 13.3%
Pacific Islander3636
White496355
 28.4%
Two or More Races4739
 17%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.3%39.3%
 10%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Joel P. Jensen Middle

Students at Joel P. Jensen Middle are 44% White, 42% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

Students who attend Joel P. Jensen Middle usually go on to attend West Jordan High

Joel P. Jensen Middle ranks in the bottom 12.4% of Utah middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 801 students attended Joel P. Jensen 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 Utah State Board 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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