Is Sylvester Middle School a good school?

Sylvester Middle School ranks 350 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sylvester Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 619 students attended Sylvester Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Sylvester Middle School?

Students at Sylvester Middle School are 38% White, 30% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 9% African American, 7% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Sylvester Middle School attend?

Students who attend Sylvester Middle School usually go on to attend Mount Rainier High School

Sylvester Middle School

Summary:

Sylvester Middle School is a public middle school located in Burien, Washington, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 619. It is part of the Highline School District, which is ranked 192 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sylvester Middle School has a relatively diverse student population, with 38.45% White, 30.37% Hispanic, 8.56% African American, 6.62% Asian, and 11.79% two or more races. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by SBAC and WCAS test scores, is generally higher than the Highline School District average but lower than the state average. For example, in 2023-2024, 39.35% of Sylvester students were proficient or better in SBAC English Language Arts, compared to 35.54% for the district and 52.63% for the state. However, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with the school ranking highly (top 30%) for African American and White students but much lower (bottom 30%) for Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

Sylvester Middle School generally outperforms nearby schools within the Highline School District, such as Pacific Middle School and Cascade Middle School, in terms of academic performance and subgroup rankings. However, it lags behind schools in other districts, such as Nelsen Middle School in the Renton School District and McMurray Middle School in the Vashon Island School District.

Detail:

Public 6-8

16222 Sylvester Road SW
Burien, WA 98166-3093

(206) 631-6000

District: Highline School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
350^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,952

Students who attend Sylvester Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mount Rainier High School

Feeder schools for Sylvester Middle School:

Elementary:	Gregory Heights Elementary
	Marvista Elementary
	North Hill Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 619

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.4%

Hispanic:

30.4%

Two or more races:

11.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.9%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Sylvester Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sylvester Middle School ranks worse than 65.4% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 5 ranked middle schools in the Highline School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.31. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (38.4%), Hispanic (30.4%), two or more races (11.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Highline School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sylvester Middle School is 17.7. 2 middle schools in the Highline School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sylvester Middle School employs 34.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sylvester Middle School is $18,952. 2 middle schools in the Highline School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sylvester Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sylvester Middle School 350^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Sylvester Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Highline School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Highline School District 192^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sylvester Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	38.86	277^th	421	34.2%
2005	53.18	205^th	425	51.8%
2006	47.01	239^th	449	46.8%
2007	56.63	185^th	463	60.0%
2008	37.22	300^th	466	35.6%
2009	32.81	347^th	476	27.1%
2010	30.17	365^th	483	24.4%
2011	36.42	342^nd	492	30.5%
2012	23.79	398^th	497	19.9%
2013	29.87	375^th	498	24.7%
2015	38.93	269^th	445	39.6%
2016	32.71	303^rd	443	31.6%
2017	22.28	341^st	435	21.6%
2018	21.41	351^st	437	19.7%
2019	24.62	400^th	512	21.9%
2021	43.31	287^th	529	45.7%
2022	39.85	309^th	541	42.9%
2023	38.27	314^th	539	41.7%
2024	33.31	350^th	535	34.6%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	44.00	94^th	166	43.4%
2019	48.37	129^th	246	47.6%
2021	30.70	184^th	250	26.4%
2022	30.76	182^nd	257	29.2%
2023	29.04	180^th	244	26.2%
2024	29.21	179^th	243	26.3%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.42	127^th	135	5.9%
2019	13.59	98^th	100	2.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	26.25	215^th	268	19.8%
2021	21.58	184^th	210	12.4%
2023	20.82	148^th	167	11.4%
2024	23.08	140^th	179	21.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	22.24	291^st	349	16.6%
2019	23.92	365^th	448	18.5%
2021	27.17	359^th	458	21.6%
2022	29.75	358^th	475	24.6%
2023	27.36	357^th	463	22.9%
2024	16.05	407^th	455	10.5%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	39.77	36^th	59	39.0%
2022	64.75	8^th	33	75.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	13.47	334^th	376	11.2%
2019	21.89	374^th	452	17.3%
2021	50.43	213^th	469	54.6%
2022	43.88	251^st	479	47.6%
2023	33.14	312^th	464	32.8%
2024	32.61	321^st	464	30.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	25.13	280^th	371	24.5%
2019	25.80	345^th	453	23.8%
2021	35.38	300^th	476	37.0%
2022	33.02	326^th	480	32.1%
2023	40.22	268^th	470	43.0%
2024	32.78	306^th	466	34.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	15.99	114^th	123	7.3%
2019	33.28	112^th	152	26.3%
2021	36.09	92^nd	149	38.3%
2022	37.58	97^th	161	39.8%
2023	19.44	118^th	145	18.6%
2024	27.02	110^th	148	25.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	11.01	66^th	66	0.0%
2019	49.46	44^th	111	60.4%
2021	64.12	24^th	106	77.4%
2022	56.44	34^th	104	67.3%
2023	66.63	29^th	96	69.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	15.22	240^th	259	7.3%
2019	14.14	325^th	344	5.5%
2021	17.39	324^th	353	8.2%
2022	14.58	331^st	360	8.1%
2023	19.26	287^th	336	14.6%
2024	17.26	308^th	344	10.5%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	31.66	24^th	31	22.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Sylvester Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	42.53	189^th	325	41.8%
2019	60.91	166^th	470	64.7%
2021	70.42	115^th	480	76.0%
2022	64.27	147^th	488	69.9%
2023	66.40	139^th	488	71.5%
2024	58.60	184^th	486	62.1%

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

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Enrollment information for Sylvester Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	492	15	39	22	14	n/a	n/a	0	582
1989	484	13	42	15	15	n/a	n/a	0	569
1990	511	17	38	19	13	n/a	n/a	0	598
1991	523	22	39	20	26	n/a	n/a	0	630
1992	519	25	38	25	23	n/a	n/a	0	630
1993	528	42	46	33	15	n/a	n/a	0	664
1994	550	46	67	28	27	n/a	n/a	0	718
1995	516	45	52	47	24	n/a	n/a	0	684
1996	516	45	52	47	24	n/a	n/a	0	684
1997	499	45	74	61	18	n/a	n/a	0	697
1998	474	57	90	59	23	n/a	n/a	0	703
1999	476	47	64	56	24	n/a	n/a	0	667
2000	477	58	74	57	16	n/a	n/a	0	682
2001	430	71	81	68	12	n/a	n/a	0	662
2002	423	86	95	107	26	n/a	n/a	0	737
2003	423	86	95	107	26	n/a	n/a	0	737
2004	431	85	95	95	25	n/a	n/a	0	731
2005	407	82	100	96	24	n/a	n/a	0	709
2006	374	96	97	104	24	n/a	n/a	0	695
2007	353	104	109	159	17	n/a	n/a	1	743
2008	326	107	130	212	14	n/a	n/a	0	789
2009	323	91	135	231	16	n/a	n/a	2	798
2010	285	84	137	227	26	n/a	n/a	0	759
2011	196	46	74	259	10	11	82	0	678
2012	165	50	75	226	7	15	54	0	592
2013	176	53	86	257	7	23	45	0	647
2014	164	40	103	253	10	30	44	0	644
2015	153	41	117	272	10	27	38	0	658
2016	147	53	132	294	8	21	38	0	693
2017	163	61	127	275	11	26	41	0	704
2018	153	43	105	285	10	24	40	0	660
2019	135	46	104	271	1	26	43	0	626
2020	273	51	87	180	3	26	54	2	676
2021	268	61	67	200	7	15	77	4	699
2022	249	42	53	187	6	12	77	13	639
2023	238	53	41	188	8	12	73	6	619

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 Sylvester Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	582	27.0	21.5	0
1989	569	30.0	18.9	n/a
1990	598	28.4	21.0	0
1991	630	28.6	22.0	n/a
1992	630	29.9	21.0	n/a
1993	664	33.2	20.0	n/a
1994	718	34.0	21.1	n/a
1995	684	36.0	19.0	n/a
1996	684	36.0	19.0	n/a
1997	697	36.4	19.1	n/a
1998	703	35.8	19.6	n/a
1999	667	34.4	19.4	n/a
2000	682	33.2	20.5	n/a
2001	662	31.8	20.8	n/a
2002	737	34.0	21.7	44.2
2003	737	34.0	21.7	44.2
2004	731	37.0	19.8	45.1
2005	709	37.3	19.0	44.3
2006	695	34.2	20.3	47.1
2007	743	n/a	n/a	48.8
2008	789	38.8	20.3	48.9
2009	798	38.8	20.6	53.9
2010	759	40.9	18.5	57.6
2011	678	35.7	18.9	57.8
2012	592	33.3	17.7	70.4
2013	647	34.3	18.8	71.4
2014	644	n/a	n/a	70.8
2015	658	37.0	17.7	66.6
2016	693	39.0	17.7	72
2017	704	40.7	17.2	70.9
2018	660	40.6	16.2	71.7
2019	626	36.8	17.0	70.6
2020	676	39.5	17.1	48.1
2021	699	33.7	20.7	48.2
2022	639	34.1	18.7	47.4
2023	619	34.9	17.7	50.9

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 Sylvester Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	582	27.0	21.5	0
1989	569	30.0	18.9	n/a
1990	598	28.4	21.0	0
1991	630	28.6	22.0	n/a
1992	630	29.9	21.0	n/a
1993	664	33.2	20.0	n/a
1994	718	34.0	21.1	n/a
1995	684	36.0	19.0	n/a
1996	684	36.0	19.0	n/a
1997	697	36.4	19.1	n/a
1998	703	35.8	19.6	n/a
1999	667	34.4	19.4	n/a
2000	682	33.2	20.5	n/a
2001	662	31.8	20.8	n/a
2002	737	34.0	21.7	44.2
2003	737	34.0	21.7	44.2
2004	731	37.0	19.8	45.1
2005	709	37.3	19.0	44.3
2006	695	34.2	20.3	47.1
2007	743	n/a	n/a	48.8
2008	789	38.8	20.3	48.9
2009	798	38.8	20.6	53.9
2010	759	40.9	18.5	57.6
2011	678	35.7	18.9	57.8
2012	592	33.3	17.7	70.4
2013	647	34.3	18.8	71.4
2014	644	n/a	n/a	70.8
2015	658	37.0	17.7	66.6
2016	693	39.0	17.7	72
2017	704	40.7	17.2	70.9
2018	660	40.6	16.2	71.7
2019	626	36.8	17.0	70.6
2020	676	39.5	17.1	48.1
2021	699	33.7	20.7	48.2
2022	639	34.1	18.7	47.4
2023	619	34.9	17.7	50.9

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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