Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! California test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings TODAY.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Q: Is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy a good school?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks 1874 th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1874^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,703 California Middle Schools

Better than 31% of California middle schools

Summary

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy is a 133-student middle school in Los Angeles serving grades 6–8. Its latest results raise concerns about both achievement and attendance: chronic absenteeism reached 33% in 2025–26, up 17 percentage points from 2023–24. Most notably, the school had the lowest all-grades proficiency rates among nearby schools with same-year data in English language arts (ELA), math, and science.

The school’s relative bright spot is seventh-grade ELA: 52% met proficiency, slightly above the state and Los Angeles Unified. But overall results were lower than nearby-school averages in all three subjects: 35% in ELA versus 54%, 23% in math versus 42%, and 12% in science versus 38%. They were also below state results by 14 points in ELA, 15 in math, and 24 in science, and below district results by 13, 17, and 20 points, respectively. Science was the weakest relative result. ELA in grades 6 and 8 was below every nearby school’s same-grade score in the available data.

Results have varied over time: from 2022–23 to 2025–26, ELA fell 1 percentage point and math fell 3, while science rose 9; math had climbed to 44% in 2024–25 before dropping to 23%. SchoolDigger ranked the school at the 31st percentile and gave it 2 stars in 2025–26, down from the 58th percentile the prior year. Its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 14.5, below the nearby-school average of 23.0. The school reported that 71% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–25. SchoolDigger’s statewide subgroup ranking was higher for Special Education Students (65th percentile) than overall (31st), while the Hispanic Students ranking fell from the 65th to the 9th percentile in one year. With 133 students, results may be sensitive to small cohorts.

133

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$46,813

Per pupil spending ?

70.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

8701 Parkhill Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90045-3437

(323) 673-1230

District: Los Angeles Unified

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually attend:

High:

WESM Health/Sports Medicine

Feeder schools for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy:

Elementary:	Kentwood Elementary
	Loyola Village Fine And Performing Arts Magnet
	Paseo del Rey Elementary
	Playa Vista Elementary
	More...
	Westport Heights Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.1%

Hispanic:

26.3%

Two or more races:

12.0%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Katherine Johnson STEM Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2019 → 31st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 18% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg42%

California avg42%

1,874^th of 2,703

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 15 pts since 2019

From bottom 46% (2019) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 124Middle Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

450^th of 968Los Angeles 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
2026	28.2	1874 of 2703	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.1	1154 of 2761	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.5	1834 of 2783	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	1623 of 2781	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	1654 of 2740	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.3	1475 of 2715	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	307 of 583	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	69.7	135 of 609	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	30.0	443 of 627	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	414 of 613	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.2	273 of 637	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.8	327 of 643	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	57.0	443 of 1491	70.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	19.1	2075 of 2483	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	56.8	904 of 2533	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.1	1254 of 2551	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.6	1852 of 2531	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.8	1532 of 2509	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	1303 of 2380	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	2122 of 2325	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	56.2	846 of 2395	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	1082 of 2388	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	758 of 2374	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.6	1638 of 2359	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	1907 of 2493	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	57.5	847 of 2542	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.3	1444 of 2579	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	1260 of 2531	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.8	1584 of 2458	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.7	1502 of 2369	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	1353 of 2478	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.0	1284 of 2534	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.7	1931 of 2552	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	1259 of 2538	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.4	1496 of 2527	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	1396 of 2407	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	549 of 1586	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.3	243 of 1566	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	44.6	671 of 1552	56.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	39.6	957 of 1602	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2019)70th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile+35 vs school

African American (2026)47th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)45th percentile+15 vs school

White (2019)40th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2026)16th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-14 vs state

Mathematics23%-15 vs state

Science12%-24 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, May 17, 2020

KJ Stem is a hidden gem of a middle school that every family should consider. Principal Hunsberger and the staff have a clear enthusiasm for their students and find creative ways to teach and challenge them. We rate this school so highly on the everyday efforts of the instructors among many other positives. The school size gives an ideal ratio of instructor to student support and the school continues to grow extracurricular activities to meet the students’ interests. My son receives the resources and assistance that he needs to be successful. He has been thriving every day as a part of this school and we are very happy to be there! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 6, 2020

KJ STEM Academy has been a great option for my high-performing kid who is in the honors/GATE program including LAUSD's Accelerated Math track. She continues to be above grade-level, and has increased her test scores in Math since starting 6th grade. The teachers force students to think critically and creatively and all kids are enrolled in a STEM elective. In partnership with LMU, the school has a very progressive curriculum and a strong social-emotional pedagogy. Close Quote

Schools Near Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CSA Spanish Overall (2026)		CSA Spanish Listening (2026)		CSA Spanish Writing (2026)		CSA Spanish Reading (2026)		CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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
Katherine Johnson STEM Academy	Public	6-8	8701 Parkhill Dr.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 673-1230	133	9	14.5	70.7%	9 (6.8%)	68 (51.1%)	35 (26.3%)	4 (3.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (12.0%)	28.2	1874^th of 2703 public middle schools	30.7%		51.1	1154^th of 2761 public middle schools	58.2%	720									12.2	12.2	23.9	52.0	27.5	35.3	11.1	34.7	22.0	23.0	$46,813	$45,270	$1,543
Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet	Public	6-8	6550 West 80th St.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 258-6600	456	26	17.4	82.0%	15 (3.3%)	276 (60.5%)	133 (29.2%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	30.7	1777^th of 2703 public middle schools	34.3%		23.3	2084^th of 2761 public middle schools	24.5%	307									23.7	23.7	37.7	36.2	37.4	37.1	32.2	16.9	23.5	23.8	$48,105	$45,540	$2,565
Marina del Rey Middle	Public	6-8	12500 Braddock Dr.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 578-2700	300	22	13.4	87.3%	4 (1.3%)	115 (38.3%)	168 (56.0%)	4 (1.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	31.5	1752^nd of 2703 public middle schools	35.2%		24.8	2016^th of 2761 public middle schools	27.0%	264									13.8	13.8	47.3	26.2	36.5	38.7	31.8	28.6	12.6	24.6	$75,317	$69,470	$5,847
ICEF Vista Middle Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	4471 Inglewood Blvd.	Los Angeles	90043	Los Angeles County	ICEF Vista Middle Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 298-6405	194	11	18.0	96.4%	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.6%)	183 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)
El Segundo Middle	Public	6-8	332 Center St.	El Segundo	90245	Los Angeles County	El Segundo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 615-2690	804	35	22.8	10.3%	346 (43.0%)	25 (3.1%)	178 (22.1%)	98 (12.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	156 (19.4%)	93.2	189^th of 2703 public middle schools	93.0%		95.2	151^st of 2761 public middle schools	94.5%	38									62.2	62.2	67.6	80.2	77.2	74.9	60.3	78.0	70.2	69.4	$18,135	$17,032	$1,103
Mark Twain Middle	Public	6-8	2224 Walgrove Ave.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 305-3100	974	51	19.0	57.6%	176 (18.1%)	97 (10.0%)	506 (52.0%)	73 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (12.5%)	76.6	527^th of 2703 public middle schools	80.5%		71	653^rd of 2761 public middle schools	76.3%	126									41.9	41.9	61.6	64.8	58.4	61.5	54.9	54.6	45.0	51.5	$31,690	$30,078	$1,612
Culver City Middle	Public	6-8	4601 Elenda St.	Culver City	90230	Los Angeles County	Culver City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 842-4200	1,523	73	20.7	39.5%	389 (25.5%)	148 (9.7%)	546 (35.9%)	173 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	262 (17.2%)	80.1	459^th of 2703 public middle schools	83.0%		77.9	524^th of 2761 public middle schools	81.0%	65									50.5	50.5	66.5	67.2	58.1	64.0	54.0	55.5	44.8	51.6	$18,458	$17,374	$1,084
Lennox Middle	Public	6-8	11033 Buford Ave.	Lennox	90304	Los Angeles County	Lennox	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 419-1800	1,193	64	18.6	94.1%	2 (0.2%)	21 (1.8%)	1,152 (96.6%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (0.8%)	35.8	1608^th of 2703 public middle schools	40.5%		36.9	1586^th of 2761 public middle schools	42.6%	22	3.2	3.2	29.0	29.0	16.1	16.1	3.2	3.2	19.7	19.7	42.9	43.0	41.6	42.5	24.8	19.4	34.1	26.1	$27,678	$25,348	$2,330
Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	830 North La Brea Ave.	Inglewood	90302	Los Angeles County	Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 671-5578	208	4	52.2	68.8%	0 (0.0%)	175 (84.1%)	21 (10.1%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)								(n/a)
Century Community Charter	Public, Charter	6-8	901 South Maple St.	Inglewood	90301	Los Angeles County	Century Community Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 412-2286	441	21	21.3	80.5%	5 (1.1%)	57 (12.9%)	366 (83.0%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

What is the racial makeup of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

Students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy are 51% African American, 26% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 7% White, 3% Asian.

What district is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy in?

Los Angeles Unified

What high school do graduates of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy attend?

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually go on to attend WESM Health/Sports Medicine

Is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy a good school?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks 1874^th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 133 students attended Katherine Johnson STEM Academy.

Rate Katherine Johnson STEM Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Middle School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Los Angeles, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy!

Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.