Middle Schools in Downey Unified

The Downey Unified School District in California is home to 4 middle schools that serve students in grades 6-8. Based on the data provided, Griffiths (Gordon) Middle stands out as the highest-performing school in the district, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and boasting the strongest academic proficiency rates across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

While the middle schools in Downey Unified share some common challenges, such as high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (ranging from 68.36% to 78.7%) and relatively high chronic absenteeism (20.3% to 29.8%), the data reveals that Griffiths (Gordon) Middle has been able to overcome these obstacles and deliver exceptional academic results. In contrast, the other middle schools in the district, including Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle, Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle, and Sussman (Edward A.) Middle, have lower proficiency rates and lower overall ratings from SchoolDigger.

The data suggests that the Downey Unified School District could benefit from further investigation into the practices and strategies employed at Griffiths (Gordon) Middle that have contributed to its academic success, with the goal of replicating those best practices across the district and improving outcomes for all middle school students.