Is Chief Joseph Middle School a good school?

Chief Joseph Middle School ranks 319 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chief Joseph Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 697 students attended Chief Joseph Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Chief Joseph Middle School?

Students at Chief Joseph Middle School are 63% White, 26% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Chief Joseph Middle School attend?

Students who attend Chief Joseph Middle School usually go on to attend Hanford High School

Chief Joseph Middle School

Summary:

Chief Joseph Middle School is a public middle school located in Richland, Washington, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 697. The school is part of the Richland School District, which is ranked 67 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Chief Joseph Middle School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with higher percentages of Hispanic and multi-racial students, its academic performance has been a concern. The school has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 256th out of 541 Washington middle schools in 2021-2022 to 319th out of 535 in 2023-2024. Its proficiency rates in SBAC English Language Arts, SBAC Math, and WCAS Science are consistently lower than the Richland School District and Washington state averages across all grade levels. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 19.07% in 2020-2021 to 67.43% in 2022-2023, suggesting a more economically disadvantaged population.

When compared to other middle schools in the Richland School District, such as Enterprise Middle School and Leona Libby Middle School, Chief Joseph Middle School generally performs worse in terms of test scores and statewide rankings. The school's lower rankings for specific student groups, such as Hispanic and multi-racial students, indicate that it may need to focus on addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by these populations to improve their academic outcomes. Overall, the data suggests that Chief Joseph Middle School faces several challenges that may require a comprehensive approach to address the identified areas of concern and improve the educational outcomes for all students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

504 Wilson
Richland, WA 99352

(509) 967-6400

District: Richland School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
319^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,177

Students who attend Chief Joseph Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hanford High School

Feeder schools for Chief Joseph Middle School:

Elementary:	Jason Lee Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary
	Sacajawea Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 19.9

Number of students: 697

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.4%

Hispanic:

25.7%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.4%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Chief Joseph Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chief Joseph Middle School ranks worse than 59.6% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Richland School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.09. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (63.4%), Hispanic (25.7%), two or more races (5.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Richland School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chief Joseph Middle School is 19.9, which is the 2^nd best among 4 middle schools in the Richland School District. (See more...)

Compare Chief Joseph Middle School employs 34.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chief Joseph Middle School is $16,177, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Richland School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chief Joseph Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chief Joseph Middle School 319^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Chief Joseph 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Richland School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Richland School District 67^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chief Joseph Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	69.92	111^th	421	73.6%
2005	63.11	148^th	425	65.2%
2006	49.43	220^th	449	51.0%
2007	50.31	231^st	463	50.1%
2008	42.08	283^rd	466	39.3%
2009	38.49	309^th	476	35.1%
2010	34.16	337^th	483	30.2%
2011	36.33	343^rd	492	30.3%
2012	40.65	317^th	497	36.2%
2013	36.64	335^th	498	32.7%
2015	32.72	303^rd	445	31.9%
2016	28.44	323^rd	443	27.1%
2017	31.80	306^th	435	29.7%
2018	36.49	282^nd	437	35.5%
2019	25.80	393^rd	512	23.2%
2021	40.88	301^st	529	43.1%
2022	45.92	256^th	541	52.7%
2023	46.11	263^rd	539	51.2%
2024	37.09	319^th	535	40.4%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	29.11	125^th	166	24.7%
2019	14.12	223^rd	246	9.3%
2021	20.25	211^th	250	15.6%
2022	30.53	183^rd	257	28.8%
2023	38.29	151^st	244	38.1%
2024	26.79	188^th	243	22.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.80	86^th	135	36.3%
2022	62.04	14^th	63	77.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	32.51	183^rd	268	31.7%
2021	39.51	116^th	210	44.8%
2022	42.09	92^nd	199	53.8%
2023	28.35	123^rd	167	26.3%
2024	39.36	94^th	179	47.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	26.98	275^th	349	21.2%
2019	23.73	366^th	448	18.3%
2021	46.48	225^th	458	50.9%
2022	41.11	268^th	475	43.6%
2023	43.95	244^th	463	47.3%
2024	29.46	338^th	455	25.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	38.25	238^th	376	36.7%
2019	26.84	347^th	452	23.2%
2021	39.79	275^th	469	41.4%
2022	45.74	242^nd	479	49.5%
2023	44.30	240^th	464	48.3%
2024	31.14	327^th	464	29.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	29.91	261^st	371	29.6%
2019	23.66	360^th	453	20.5%
2021	42.72	258^th	476	45.8%
2022	45.20	234^th	480	51.3%
2023	44.61	236^th	470	49.8%
2024	40.47	262^nd	466	43.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.16	228^th	259	12.0%
2019	22.87	279^th	344	18.9%
2021	22.45	291^st	353	17.6%
2022	29.83	252^nd	360	30.0%
2023	28.42	242^nd	336	28.0%
2024	16.60	309^th	344	10.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Chief Joseph Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	28.57	243^rd	325	25.2%
2019	24.90	375^th	470	20.2%
2021	47.06	249^th	480	48.1%
2022	49.93	230^th	488	52.9%
2023	53.04	207^th	488	57.6%
2024	45.55	266^th	486	45.3%

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 Chief Joseph Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	671	7	15	29	6	n/a	n/a	0	728
1996	671	7	15	29	6	n/a	n/a	0	728
1997	693	12	21	42	15	n/a	n/a	0	783
1998	625	19	17	46	11	n/a	n/a	0	718
1999	630	18	13	47	0	n/a	n/a	0	708
2000	633	16	12	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	695
2001	658	7	14	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	716
2002	684	12	16	37	3	n/a	n/a	0	752
2003	684	12	16	37	3	n/a	n/a	0	752
2004	677	19	21	40	4	n/a	n/a	0	761
2005	672	20	24	51	9	n/a	n/a	0	776
2006	553	26	17	46	11	n/a	n/a	0	653
2007	509	28	19	41	5	n/a	n/a	0	602
2008	557	28	25	62	6	n/a	n/a	0	678
2009	546	27	30	80	13	n/a	n/a	5	701
2010	598	24	31	85	9	n/a	n/a	9	756
2011	564	25	30	74	8	1	3	0	705
2012	556	24	33	85	6	2	10	0	716
2013	513	20	34	103	3	2	8	0	683
2014	530	21	29	120	4	1	22	0	727
2015	514	23	22	137	7	4	17	0	724
2016	537	29	25	159	7	5	31	0	793
2017	508	25	25	154	6	3	32	0	753
2018	513	19	25	162	2	3	33	0	757
2019	496	18	17	175	5	7	36	0	754
2020	477	20	17	181	1	2	47	0	745
2021	472	22	14	194	2	2	46	3	755
2022	444	15	13	178	1	0	37	5	693
2023	442	16	13	179	3	1	40	3	697

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 Chief Joseph Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	728	37.8	19.3	n/a
1996	728	37.8	19.3	n/a
1997	783	39.8	19.7	n/a
1998	718	37.6	19.1	n/a
1999	708	34.1	20.8	n/a
2000	695	34.5	20.1	n/a
2001	716	36.4	19.7	n/a
2002	752	38.7	19.4	24.3
2003	752	38.7	19.4	24.3
2004	761	42.0	18.1	26
2005	776	42.0	18.5	30.5
2006	653	37.1	17.6	36.4
2007	602	35.4	17.0	35.2
2008	678	35.6	19.0	37.9
2009	701	35.6	19.7	44
2010	756	37.0	20.4	42.4
2011	705	36.3	19.3	48.1
2012	716	33.2	21.5	46.8
2013	683	33.2	20.5	47
2014	727	n/a	n/a	55.7
2015	724	34.0	21.2	56.1
2016	793	36.0	22.0	52.1
2017	753	39.4	19.1	55.6
2018	757	38.4	19.7	45.8
2019	754	37.6	20.0	66.4
2020	745	39.2	18.9	57.6
2021	755	36.4	20.7	19.1
2022	693	33.8	20.4	62.2
2023	697	34.9	19.9	67.4

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 Chief Joseph Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	728	37.8	19.3	n/a
1996	728	37.8	19.3	n/a
1997	783	39.8	19.7	n/a
1998	718	37.6	19.1	n/a
1999	708	34.1	20.8	n/a
2000	695	34.5	20.1	n/a
2001	716	36.4	19.7	n/a
2002	752	38.7	19.4	24.3
2003	752	38.7	19.4	24.3
2004	761	42.0	18.1	26
2005	776	42.0	18.5	30.5
2006	653	37.1	17.6	36.4
2007	602	35.4	17.0	35.2
2008	678	35.6	19.0	37.9
2009	701	35.6	19.7	44
2010	756	37.0	20.4	42.4
2011	705	36.3	19.3	48.1
2012	716	33.2	21.5	46.8
2013	683	33.2	20.5	47
2014	727	n/a	n/a	55.7
2015	724	34.0	21.2	56.1
2016	793	36.0	22.0	52.1
2017	753	39.4	19.1	55.6
2018	757	38.4	19.7	45.8
2019	754	37.6	20.0	66.4
2020	745	39.2	18.9	57.6
2021	755	36.4	20.7	19.1
2022	693	33.8	20.4	62.2
2023	697	34.9	19.9	67.4

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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