Middle Schools in Arcadia Unified

The Arcadia Unified school district features three high-performing middle schools—First Avenue Middle, Richard Henry Dana Middle, and Foothills Middle—serving grades 6-8 in a district ranked in the top 15% statewide.

All three schools are elite, consistently earning 5-star ratings and ranking in the top 10% of California middle schools, but they have distinct strengths. Foothills Middle leads in academic achievement, with the highest test scores in math and science. First Avenue Middle excels in student attendance, boasting the lowest rate of chronic absenteeism, while Richard Henry Dana Middle is noted for its very stable and consistently high performance year over year.

Parents can be confident in the quality of any of these schools, as each significantly outperforms state averages. The district's overall effectiveness is clear, with students achieving proficiency rates 20-35 percentage points above the state average in core subjects and attendance rates far better than the state norm. The minimal variation in performance between the schools indicates a consistently strong and equitable educational experience across the Arcadia Unified district.