Is Federal Way Public Academy a good school?

Yes. Federal Way Public Academy ranks in the top 7.9% of Washington middle schools.

How many students attend Federal Way Public Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 298 students attended Federal Way Public Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Federal Way Public Academy?

Students at Federal Way Public Academy are 39% White, 20% Asian, 18% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 8% African American.

Federal Way Public Academy

Summary:

Federal Way Public Academy is a high-performing public middle school in Federal Way, Washington, serving grades 6-10 with a total enrollment of 298 students. This school consistently ranks among the top middle schools in the state, outperforming both district and state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas.

One of the key factors that sets Federal Way Public Academy apart is its strong academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts. In the 2023-2024 school year, 81.59% of students were proficient or better in SBAC/English Language Arts, compared to just 35.31% for the Federal Way School District and 52.63% for the state. The school's 10th-grade students achieved an impressive 91.67% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, far exceeding the district's 50.97% and the state's 66.2%. Additionally, Federal Way Public Academy's students from low socioeconomic backgrounds significantly outperform their peers in the district and state, ranking 1st out of 455 Washington middle schools in this subgroup.

Compared to other middle schools in the Federal Way School District, as well as those in neighboring districts like Auburn and Tacoma, Federal Way Public Academy maintains a clear academic advantage, particularly in Math and Science. This exceptional performance, combined with the school's diverse student population and high spending per student, suggests that Federal Way Public Academy is a model of educational excellence that is worth further study and emulation.

Detail:

Public 6-10

34620 9th Av S
Federal Way, WA 98003-6731

(253) 945-3270

District: Federal Way School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
42^nd of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,954

Student/teacher ratio: 21.9

Number of students: 298

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.3%

Asian:

20.1%

Hispanic:

18.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.6%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Federal Way Public Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Federal Way Public Academy ranks better than 92.1% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.63. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Federal Way Public Academy has the smallest middle school student body size in the Federal Way School District. Student population at Federal Way Public Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (39.3%), Asian (20.1%), Hispanic (18.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 45.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Federal Way School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Federal Way Public Academy is 21.9, which is the highest among 7 middle schools in the Federal Way School District! (See more...)

Compare Federal Way Public Academy employs 13.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Federal Way Public Academy is $17,954, which is the lowest among 7 middle schools in the Federal Way School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Federal Way Public Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Federal Way Public Academy 42^nd of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Federal Way Public Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Federal Way School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Federal Way School District 213^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Federal Way Public Academy

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Rank History for all students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	99.11	5^th	421	98.8%
2005	97.90	6^th	425	98.6%
2006	97.80	3^rd	449	99.3%
2007	97.13	8^th	463	98.3%
2008	97.03	8^th	466	98.3%
2009	96.45	8^th	476	98.3%
2010	93.64	12^th	483	97.5%
2011	93.30	15^th	492	97.0%
2012	90.39	22^nd	497	95.6%
2013	89.54	24^th	498	95.2%
2015	92.85	21^st	445	95.3%
2016	91.90	23^rd	443	94.8%
2017	90.40	28^th	435	93.6%
2018	82.17	75^th	437	82.8%
2019	82.21	77^th	512	85.0%
2021	88.79	51^st	529	90.4%
2022	91.21	40^th	541	92.6%
2023	94.99	23^rd	539	95.7%
2024	92.63	42^nd	535	92.1%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	61.59	67^th	166	59.6%
2021	90.12	17^th	250	93.2%
2022	82.33	34^th	257	86.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	90.54	24^th	349	93.1%
2019	92.05	7^th	448	98.4%
2021	92.02	15^th	458	96.7%
2022	96.02	8^th	475	98.3%
2023	96.35	7^th	463	98.5%
2024	98.93	1^st	455	99.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	78.36	73^rd	376	80.6%
2019	78.69	69^th	452	84.7%
2021	93.07	30^th	469	93.6%
2022	90.42	40^th	479	91.6%
2023	94.76	21^st	464	95.5%
2024	88.21	47^th	464	89.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	83.38	61^st	371	83.6%
2019	83.79	65^th	453	85.7%
2021	83.15	71^st	476	85.1%
2022	88.88	46^th	480	90.4%
2023	93.05	31^st	470	93.4%
2024	94.42	30^th	466	93.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	76.66	33^rd	152	78.3%
2021	69.14	46^th	149	69.1%
2022	69.62	44^th	161	72.7%
2023	72.67	41^st	145	71.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	76.37	46^th	259	82.2%
2019	81.62	39^th	344	88.7%
2021	79.87	49^th	353	86.1%
2022	77.95	49^th	360	86.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Federal Way Public Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	73.35	85^th	325	73.8%
2019	74.49	99^th	470	78.9%
2021	88.60	41^st	480	91.5%
2022	92.24	27^th	488	94.5%
2023	90.20	35^th	488	92.8%
2024	92.35	24^th	486	95.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, June 15, 2018

My experience at FWPA was great. The learning there was harder than any school that I have ever been to. Unfortunately, I had to move to a different city far away, so I had to go to a different school. With just one year of FWPA knowledge, I already learned everything my new school taught because FWPA already taught me this knowledge last year. Overall, FWPA is a great school. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

GOD BLESS Federal Way Public Academy! Words cannot begin to describe how thankful my family is to the dedicated educators, volunteers and staff of this amazing school. We could never afford to give our child the level of education she receives here as part of the public school system. We will continue to support this school long after our child graduates. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

REALLY hard school it's the last week of school and they don't care they're still giving you 7 hours at the least of homework every day! (AS ALWAYS) Close Quote

Enrollment information for Federal Way Public Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	63	7	45	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	120
2001	99	8	69	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	179
2002	110	10	57	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	183
2003	110	10	57	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	183
2004	157	19	100	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	286
2005	149	29	102	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	294
2006	149	24	117	13	3	n/a	n/a	2	308
2007	140	22	111	13	3	n/a	n/a	4	293
2008	138	26	108	16	2	n/a	n/a	7	297
2009	147	20	101	24	1	n/a	n/a	7	300
2010	152	20	93	28	0	n/a	n/a	7	300
2011	144	16	86	29	0	0	29	0	304
2012	139	13	83	31	1	0	29	0	296
2013	144	25	78	33	1	1	22	0	304
2014	146	25	73	31	1	2	28	0	306
2015	140	22	75	34	1	3	31	0	306
2016	133	19	69	38	1	5	38	0	303
2017	136	22	59	45	0	4	46	0	312
2018	137	19	47	53	1	1	51	0	309
2019	131	19	52	69	1	4	36	0	312
2020	135	24	46	64	3	2	41	0	315
2021	126	26	44	63	2	1	40	0	302
2022	121	29	49	60	1	1	47	0	308
2023	117	24	60	54	1	0	42	0	298

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 Federal Way Public Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	120	4.6	26.1	n/a
2001	179	5.4	33.1	n/a
2002	183	8.4	21.8	10.9
2003	183	8.4	21.8	10.9
2004	286	12.0	23.8	10.1
2005	294	12.5	23.5	11.9
2006	308	12.8	24.1	13.4
2007	293	13.0	22.5	14.2
2008	297	13.0	22.8	15.2
2009	300	13.0	23.1	18.8
2010	300	13.0	23.0	22.9
2011	304	13.0	23.3	19.7
2012	296	13.0	22.7	25.7
2013	304	13.0	23.3	33.6
2014	306	n/a	n/a	30.4
2015	306	13.0	23.5	31
2016	303	13.0	23.3	30.7
2017	312	13.0	24.0	29.2
2018	309	13.0	23.7	28.8
2019	312	14.0	22.2	37.5
2020	315	13.4	23.3	35.9
2021	302	13.4	22.4	36.4
2022	308	13.3	23.0	38.6
2023	298	13.6	21.9	45.6

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 Federal Way Public Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	120	4.6	26.1	n/a
2001	179	5.4	33.1	n/a
2002	183	8.4	21.8	10.9
2003	183	8.4	21.8	10.9
2004	286	12.0	23.8	10.1
2005	294	12.5	23.5	11.9
2006	308	12.8	24.1	13.4
2007	293	13.0	22.5	14.2
2008	297	13.0	22.8	15.2
2009	300	13.0	23.1	18.8
2010	300	13.0	23.0	22.9
2011	304	13.0	23.3	19.7
2012	296	13.0	22.7	25.7
2013	304	13.0	23.3	33.6
2014	306	n/a	n/a	30.4
2015	306	13.0	23.5	31
2016	303	13.0	23.3	30.7
2017	312	13.0	24.0	29.2
2018	309	13.0	23.7	28.8
2019	312	14.0	22.2	37.5
2020	315	13.4	23.3	35.9
2021	302	13.4	22.4	36.4
2022	308	13.3	23.0	38.6
2023	298	13.6	21.9	45.6

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.

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