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James B. Davidson Middle

Q: Is James B. Davidson Middle a good school?

James B. Davidson Middle ranks 1274 th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1274^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,703 California Middle Schools

Better than 53% of California middle schools

Summary

James B. Davidson Middle is a public school serving grades 6–8 in San Rafael, with 1,052 students—the largest enrollment among the 10 nearby schools in this comparison. Its 2025–2026 proficiency rates were below California’s in English language arts (ELA), math and science, even as results improved over the four years shown. The most important takeaway is that Davidson is making progress but still trails the state in all three subjects.

Compared with its district, Davidson was stronger in ELA and science: 43% in ELA versus 38% districtwide, and 34% in science versus 31%; math was lower, at 34% versus 36%. It remained below state results in every subject: 43% versus 49% in ELA, 34% versus 38% in math, and 34% versus 36% in science. Among the eight nearby schools serving grades 6–8, Davidson ranked second-lowest in ELA, lowest in math and third-lowest in science. So science is its strongest subject relative to the state and district, while math is its weakest in the nearby comparison.

From 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, Davidson’s proficiency rose by 8 percentage points in ELA, 7 in math and 9 in science; its gaps to the state narrowed by 5, 3 and 3 points, respectively. SchoolDigger places it at the 53rd percentile statewide with 3 stars, compared with the district’s 43rd percentile and 2 stars. Its student–teacher ratio was 17.1 in 2024–2025, and 70% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. SchoolDigger’s statewide effectiveness rankings vary sharply by student group: Davidson ranked at the 97th percentile for White Students but the 22nd percentile for Hispanic Students. Subgroup sizes were not provided, so those rankings do not show how many students they represent.

1,052

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,007

Per pupil spending ?

69.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

280 Woodland Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901-5046

(415) 485-2400

District: San Rafael City Elementary

Students who attend James B. Davidson Middle usually attend:

High:	San Rafael High
	Terra Linda High

Feeder schools for James B. Davidson Middle:

Elementary:	Bahia Vista Elementary
	Coleman Elementary
	Glenwood Elementary
	Laurel Dell Elementary
	More...
	San Pedro Elementary
	Sun Valley Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.7%

White:

20.7%

Two or more races:

2.9%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare James B. Davidson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the California median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg36%

California avg42%

1,274^th of 2,703

California public middle schools ?

Top 47%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

550^th of 968San Rafael City Elementary 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	46.5	1274 of 2703	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.5	1282 of 2761	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.5	1327 of 2783	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.7	1431 of 2781	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.3	1173 of 2740	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	511 of 894	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	1275 of 2715	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.6	1269 of 2480	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.8	1166 of 2508	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.7	1053 of 2497	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.6	1016 of 2477	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.3	770 of 2379	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.3	813 of 2259	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.7	796 of 2236	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	51.1	1015 of 2179	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	43.5	1121 of 2063	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.4	1052 of 2005	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	52.4	850 of 1999	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.3	752 of 1804	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	60.5	595 of 1777	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.1	637 of 1769	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	50.2	416 of 715	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.8	263 of 733	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.7	286 of 745	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.0	269 of 700	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	42.9	684 of 1531	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.9	185 of 354	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.5	1066 of 1491	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	870 of 1369	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	35.8	909 of 1478	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	934 of 1521	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	947 of 1540	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.6	271 of 363	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	1186 of 1442	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	1128 of 1364	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	1215 of 2483	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.0	1284 of 2533	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	1180 of 2551	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.1	1354 of 2531	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.3	1164 of 2509	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.1	465 of 738	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	1243 of 2380	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.6	1336 of 2262	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	23.7	1821 of 2325	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.1	1742 of 2395	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	1785 of 2388	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	1900 of 2374	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	1468 of 2359	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.7	1830 of 2213	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.0	1704 of 2072	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	308 of 442	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.8	311 of 477	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.9	308 of 394	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.5	244 of 320	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.5	125 of 336	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	26.2	1874 of 2493	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	1773 of 2542	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.6	1753 of 2579	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.5	2023 of 2531	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	1435 of 2458	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.9	549 of 721	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.4	1956 of 2369	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	1775 of 2230	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	46.0	1178 of 2478	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	1143 of 2534	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.1	1282 of 2552	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	1307 of 2538	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.7	982 of 2527	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	381 of 763	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	1100 of 2407	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	1067 of 2273	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	115 of 179	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	102 of 192	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	76.8	150 of 734	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	91 of 726	87.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	821 of 1586	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.8	732 of 1566	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.0	1028 of 1552	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	725 of 1531	52.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	91.5	45 of 1482	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	90.9	58 of 1520	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	88.8	91 of 1537	94.1%	★★★★★
2023	88.4	97 of 1543	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	76 of 1555	95.1%	★★★★★
2019	90.3	75 of 1602	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	86.9	117 of 1496	92.2%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)97th percentile+44 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)80th percentile+27 vs school

Disabled (2022)55th percentile~ school

Male (2026)52nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)51st percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)48th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2023)42nd percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)38th percentile-14 vs school

Military Connected (2026)36th percentile-17 vs school

Homeless (2026)30th percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)25th percentile-28 vs school

Hispanic (2026)22nd percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy43%-6 vs state

Mathematics34%-4 vs state

Science34%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★0

4★2

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, April 10, 2011

My daughter is in her 3rd and final year at Davidson, about to graduate and move on to high school. Her opinion would be a 5 star review - that's how much she loves it. We've found it to be very good in terms of academics and social development. She is a straight-A student, so one of the questions was: would she be challenged enough at Davidson? The answer is yes. She had some honors classes which challenged her, but more important, the non-honors classes challenged her as well. Most of the teachers are highly adept at managing a class with students of various learning abilities and making sure they learn at their pace. I know some parents have had some teachers that were not as good at this. Fortunately for us, almost all of our daughter's teachers were excellent. I'm also impressed with the administration. The principal is highly principled! They suffer from not having as much support staff as they could use (as all schools in CA are these days with budget problems), but they do seem to find resources in various places to get some of the most important support staff such as folks to help with people with limited English skills. Each year they do more to integrate Spanish-speaking parents into the school functions and processes. Principal Dr. McLean's three areas of focus are: high achievement, one school community, and increased parent involvement. She's done an amazing job communicating these areas of focus and rallying the staff and school community toward making them a reality. I highly recommend Davidson Middle School. The only reason there are not 5 stars is due to the budget cuts and lack of additional resources and activities, which is out of the school's hands. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, April 10, 2011

Great teachers! Never a quarrel with the level of academic performance and expectations from the students.
There has been phenomenal social spirit and the kids are heard to say things to their friends like "Davidson Rocks!"
The school site is improving all the time. With more parent involvement and local community financial support all the infrastructure can be brought up to a 21st century standards.
Electives are back and the music department is second to none in Marin County. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I have a student at Davidson. He's bright and finds lots of stimulation both academically and socially. We are especially impressed with the music program. It's wonderful to hit the middle school years when art and PE become part of the daily program! Close Quote

Schools Near James B. Davidson 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 (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 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	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
James B. Davidson Middle	Public	6-8	280 Woodland Ave.	San Rafael	94901	Marin County	San Rafael City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 485-2400	1,052	61	17.1	69.9%	218 (20.7%)	9 (0.9%)	765 (72.7%)	19 (1.8%)	6 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	31 (2.9%)	46.5	1274^th of 2703 public middle schools	52.9%		46.5	1282^nd of 2761 public middle schools	53.6%	8																		34.0	34.0		39.3	46.5	43.5	43.0		32.5	31.3	39.0	34.2	$27,007	$25,768	$1,239
Adaline E. Kent Middle	Public	5-8	800 College Ave.	Kentfield	94904	Marin County	Kentfield Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 458-5970	488	32	15.4	10.7%	313 (64.1%)	3 (0.6%)	81 (16.6%)	20 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (13.9%)	97	75^th of 2703 public middle schools	97.2%		96.2	111^th of 2761 public middle schools	96.0%	36																	69.2	68.1	68.6	81.7	80.6	85.3	79.1	81.5	75.0	73.2	83.8	77.5	77.4	$37,518	$37,400	$118
Hall Middle	Public	6-8	200 Doherty Dr.	Larkspur	94939	Marin County	Larkspur-Corte Madera	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 927-6978	440	22	19.6	10.7%	306 (69.5%)	3 (0.7%)	68 (15.5%)	25 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (8.2%)	96.1	103^rd of 2703 public middle schools	96.2%		96.1	114^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.9%	11																		68.3	68.3		70.4	86.6	83.0	80.5		72.8	74.2	73.6	73.6	$22,067	$21,300	$767
Miller Creek Middle	Public	6-8	2255 Las Gallinas Ave.	San Rafael	94903	Marin County	Miller Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 492-3760	620	35	17.6	20.3%	344 (55.5%)	12 (1.9%)	171 (27.6%)	36 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.2%)	84.2	377^th of 2703 public middle schools	86.1%		86.5	343^rd of 2761 public middle schools	87.6%	34																		48.0	48.0		65.1	71.6	61.4	66.2		55.3	65.3	53.7	58.4	$25,084	$24,324	$760
Mill Valley Middle	Public	6-8	425 Sycamore Ave.	Mill Valley	94941	Marin County	Mill Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 389-7711	721	46	15.6	6.2%	522 (72.4%)	5 (0.7%)	72 (10.0%)	42 (5.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	77 (10.7%)	96.9	82^nd of 2703 public middle schools	97.0%		97	83^rd of 2761 public middle schools	97.0%	1																		71.8	71.8		86.7	81.8	82.7	83.8		68.7	72.4	75.9	72.3	$41,923	$41,624	$299
White Hill Middle	Public	6-8	101 Glen Dr.	Fairfax	94930	Marin County	Ross Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 454-8390	601	35	17.3	12.0%	419 (69.7%)	6 (1.0%)	92 (15.3%)	19 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (10.6%)	95.2	134^th of 2703 public middle schools	95.0%		93.7	186^th of 2761 public middle schools	93.3%	52																		70.3	70.3		76.6	79.7	86.2	81.0		68.8	66.3	64.6	66.5	$29,717	$28,724	$993
Del Mar Middle	Public	6-8	105 Avenida Miraflores	Tiburon	94920	Marin County	Reed Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 435-1468	359	31	11.6	4.7%	252 (70.2%)	3 (0.8%)	32 (8.9%)	25 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.3%)	97.1	74^th of 2703 public middle schools	97.3%		98	52^nd of 2761 public middle schools	98.1%	22																		78.9	78.9		70.3	89.7	86.2	82.2		75.7	81.2	78.9	78.6	$36,839	$35,278	$1,561
San Jose Middle	Public	6-8	1000 Sunset Pkwy.	Novato	94949	Marin County	Novato Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 883-7831	559	26	21.2	55.8%	157 (28.1%)	16 (2.9%)	311 (55.6%)	36 (6.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.4%)	47.3	1249^th of 2703 public middle schools	53.8%		54.4	1060^th of 2761 public middle schools	61.6%	189	9.1	0.0	14.3	7.9	9.1	7.7	21.4	13.2	27.3	15.4	14.3	18.4	0.0	0.0	14.3	5.3		33.5	33.5		40.5	48.0	43.4	43.7		36.2	38.7	28.7	34.5	$22,055	$20,900	$1,155
Richmond Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1450 Marina Way South	Richmond	94804	Contra Costa County	Richmond Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 235-2465	296	8	36.7	82.1%	7 (2.4%)	12 (4.1%)	270 (91.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	30.5	1786^th of 2703 public middle schools	33.9%		34.1	1674^th of 2761 public middle schools	39.4%	112																		22.6	22.6		39.2	44.1	44.7	42.6		12.8	20.4	19.2	17.3	$35,777	$34,322	$1,455
Helms Middle	Public	7-8	2500 Road 20	San Pablo	94806	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 233-3988	558	25	22.1	81.9%	9 (1.6%)	28 (5.0%)	485 (86.9%)	28 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	7.2	2641^st of 2703 public middle schools	2.3%		7.7	2685^th of 2761 public middle schools	2.8%	44																		8.3	8.3			14.7	10.7	12.8			8.6	6.1	7.4

Frequently Asked Questions about James B. Davidson Middle

What is the racial makeup of James B. Davidson Middle?

Students at James B. Davidson Middle are 73% Hispanic, 21% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend James B. Davidson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,052 students attended James B. Davidson Middle.

Is James B. Davidson Middle a good school?

James B. Davidson Middle ranks 1274^th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of James B. Davidson Middle attend?

Students who attend James B. Davidson Middle usually go on to attend San Rafael High

What district is James B. Davidson Middle in?

San Rafael City Elementary

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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.