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Sussman (Edward A.) Middle

Q: Is Sussman (Edward A.) Middle a good school?

Sussman (Edward A.) Middle ranks 1211 th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1211^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 56% of California middle schools

Summary

Sussman (Edward A.) Middle is a public middle school in Downey, California, serving 1,218 students in grades 6-8. The school faces significant challenges in improving its academic performance, which is generally below the Downey Unified district and California state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Sussman Middle's proficiency rates in English Language Arts/Literacy range from 35.48% to 52.64%, compared to the district averages of 49.94% to 55.69%. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates range from 22.55% to 37.47%, compared to the district averages of 35.79% to 40.38%. The school's performance in Science, as measured by the CAST, is also lower than the district and state, with only 25.73% of students proficient or better. Additionally, Sussman Middle has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20.4% to 29.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Griffiths (Gordon) Middle and Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle, which are also part of the Downey Unified district, Sussman Middle's academic performance is generally lower. These neighboring schools have higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, as well as higher overall rankings from SchoolDigger.

1,240

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,831

Per pupil spending ?

84.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12500 Birchdale Ave.
Downey, CA 90242-3604

(562) 904-3572

District: Downey Unified

Students who attend Sussman (Edward A.) Middle usually attend:

High:

Downey High

Feeder schools for Sussman (Edward A.) Middle:

Elementary:	Alameda Elementary
	Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
	Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

91.1%

African American:

3.1%

White:

2.7%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Sussman (Edward A.) Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2013 → 56th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the California median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Downey Unified's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg45%

California avg41%

1,211^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to top 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Downey Unified

510^th of 1,543Downey Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.9	1211 of 2761	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	1255 of 2783	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.6	1467 of 2781	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.5	1413 of 2740	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.5	1398 of 2715	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	1556 of 2480	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	31.0	1650 of 2508	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.6	1372 of 2497	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.9	1451 of 2477	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.2	1289 of 2379	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	36.4	1468 of 2259	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	34.8	1503 of 2236	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.0	1391 of 2179	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	35.2	1323 of 2063	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	35.0	1295 of 2005	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	34.6	1265 of 1999	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	33.0	1187 of 1804	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	29.3	1250 of 1777	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.3	1078 of 1769	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.4	200 of 609	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.8	152 of 627	75.8%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	190 of 613	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.8	113 of 637	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	244 of 643	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.3	346 of 600	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	31.4	1013 of 1531	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.6	798 of 1491	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.7	608 of 1369	55.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.3	320 of 1478	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	49.6	457 of 1521	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	51.4	438 of 1540	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	34.9	880 of 1442	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.3	1081 of 1364	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	1137 of 2533	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.8	1262 of 2551	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.4	1464 of 2531	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.3	1239 of 2509	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.0	1289 of 2380	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	1450 of 2262	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.7	636 of 2395	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	673 of 2388	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	54.7	851 of 2374	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.3	844 of 2359	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	749 of 2213	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.1	993 of 2072	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	59.7	104 of 394	73.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.8	843 of 2542	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	874 of 2579	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	1007 of 2531	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.7	934 of 2458	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.8	886 of 2369	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	1108 of 2230	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.3	1158 of 2534	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	1101 of 2552	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.9	1261 of 2538	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.7	1350 of 2527	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	1296 of 2407	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.4	1451 of 2273	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	769 of 1566	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.6	981 of 1552	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	859 of 1531	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	12.9	1356 of 1520	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.0	729 of 1537	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	12.5	1387 of 1543	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.5	1557 of 1602	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	1273 of 1496	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)78th percentile+23 vs school

Homeless (2024)74th percentile+19 vs school

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile+17 vs school

African American (2025)67th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile~ school

Male (2025)54th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)51st percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)34th percentile-15 vs school

White (2025)11th percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy47%~ state avg

Mathematics33%-5 vs state

Science26%-7 vs state

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Schools Near Sussman (Edward A.) Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sussman (Edward A.) Middle	Public	6-8	12500 Birchdale Ave.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3572	1,240	59	20.9	84.7%	34 (2.7%)	39 (3.1%)	1,130 (91.1%)	25 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.6%)	48.9	1211^th of 2761 public middle schools	56.1%		46.8	1255^th of 2783 public middle schools	54.9%	44	25.7	25.7	51.4	52.6	35.5	46.9	37.5	36.5	22.6	32.5	$19,831	$19,196	$635
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle	Public	6-8	11985 Old River School Rd.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3565	1,329	56	23.6	83.0%	45 (3.4%)	27 (2.0%)	1,217 (91.6%)	25 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	10 (0.8%)	59.4	919^th of 2761 public middle schools	66.7%		62.6	824^th of 2783 public middle schools	70.4%	95	35.2	35.2	53.8	49.1	49.3	50.6	41.6	40.8	32.3	38.2	$22,333	$21,786	$547
Paramount Park Middle	Public	6-8	14608 Paramount Blvd.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8052	551	29	19.1	96.2%	6 (1.1%)	39 (7.1%)	492 (89.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	40.1	1493^rd of 2761 public middle schools	45.9%		38.9	1509^th of 2783 public middle schools	45.8%	16	32.5	32.5	39.2	44.9	48.4	44.1	13.9	23.0	27.2	21.3	$14,333	$13,220	$1,113
Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle	Public	6-8	10301 South Woodruff Ave.	Downey	90241	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3586	1,304	53	24.6	78.2%	86 (6.6%)	18 (1.4%)	1,152 (88.3%)	32 (2.5%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.3%)	10 (0.8%)	61	880^th of 2761 public middle schools	68.1%		57.9	935^th of 2783 public middle schools	66.4%	55	39.8	39.8	50.4	57.1	58.5	55.4	30.2	31.9	39.6	34.0	$20,250	$19,566	$684
Lakeside Middle	Public	6-8	11000 East Kenney St.	Norwalk	90650	Los Angeles County	Little Lake City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 868-9442	509	26	19.2	79.8%	18 (3.5%)	6 (1.2%)	450 (88.4%)	30 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	72.7	624^th of 2761 public middle schools	77.4%		73.4	624^th of 2783 public middle schools	77.6%		43.6	43.6	68.8	62.4	70.5	67.4	36.6	37.6	39.0	37.8	$18,975	$17,384	$1,591
Alondra Middle	Public	6-8	16200 Downey Ave.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8004	735	41	17.9	92.5%	5 (0.7%)	27 (3.7%)	674 (91.7%)	11 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.2%)	7 (1.0%)	42.8	1393^rd of 2761 public middle schools	49.5%		39.9	1467^th of 2783 public middle schools	47.3%	74	27.7	27.7	42.6	50.0	50.4	47.9	18.0	24.2	26.9	23.3	$16,799	$15,624	$1,175
Corvallis Middle	Public	6-8	11032 East Leffingwell Rd.	Norwalk	90650	Los Angeles County	Norwalk-La Mirada Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 210-4125	663	27	24.3	76.0%	9 (1.4%)	27 (4.1%)	582 (87.8%)	29 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	12 (1.8%)	41.9	1434^th of 2761 public middle schools	48.1%		34	1669^th of 2783 public middle schools	40.0%	235	20.4	20.4	45.4	48.5	44.1	46.0	24.9	27.8	28.3	27.0	$23,058	$21,916	$1,142
Griffiths (Gordon) Middle	Public	6-8	9633 Tweedy Ln.	Downey	90240	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3580	1,264	54	23.2	77.0%	72 (5.7%)	27 (2.1%)	1,120 (88.6%)	30 (2.4%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.6%)	76.5	552^nd of 2761 public middle schools	80.0%		70.1	683^rd of 2783 public middle schools	75.5%	131	41.7	41.7	58.5	64.4	55.0	59.3	52.1	51.8	47.4	50.4	$20,727	$20,246	$481
Frank J. Zamboni	Public	6-8	15733 South Orange Ave.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8048	650	40	16.2	96.0%	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.4%)	619 (95.2%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37.3	1565^th of 2761 public middle schools	43.3%		39.6	1478^th of 2783 public middle schools	46.9%	87	19.0	19.0	41.2	46.1	42.6	43.4	18.2	32.1	21.4	24.2	$15,131	$13,974	$1,157
Leona Jackson	Public	6-8	7220 Jackson St.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8020	517	32	16.2	97.1%	3 (0.6%)	130 (25.1%)	355 (68.7%)	13 (2.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	12 (2.3%)	38.7	1529^th of 2761 public middle schools	44.6%		29.4	1840^th of 2783 public middle schools	33.9%	311	27.8	27.8	43.0	45.9	44.4	44.5	13.4	26.6	22.4	21.0	$17,916	$16,682	$1,234

Frequently Asked Questions about Sussman (Edward A.) Middle

What is the racial makeup of Sussman (Edward A.) Middle?

Students at Sussman (Edward A.) Middle are 91% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% White, 2% Asian.

Is Sussman (Edward A.) Middle a good school?

Sussman (Edward A.) Middle ranks 1211^th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Sussman (Edward A.) Middle in?

Downey Unified

How many students attend Sussman (Edward A.) Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,240 students attended Sussman (Edward A.) Middle.

What high school do graduates of Sussman (Edward A.) Middle attend?

Students who attend Sussman (Edward A.) Middle usually go on to attend Downey High

Rate Sussman (Edward A.) Middle!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.