Summary:
This analysis covers three public middle schools (grades 6-8) located in the 90808 zip code of Long Beach, California, all part of the Long Beach Unified school district.
Among these schools, Helen Keller Middle stands out as the top performer, achieving the highest test scores in English, math, and science and earning the best statewide ranking. A particularly remarkable strength is its very low chronic absenteeism rate of 6.7%, which is significantly better than the other schools and suggests a highly engaged student body and supportive school environment. Marshall Academy of the Arts is also a strong choice, offering solid academics with a particular focus on the arts and serving the largest student population. Bancroft Middle, while still performing above district and state averages in English, has lower proficiency rates in math and science compared to the other two schools in the area.
Overall, families in this zip code have access to middle schools that consistently outperform both Long Beach Unified and California state averages. Interestingly, the highest-performing school operates with the lowest per-student spending in the group, indicating that factors like teaching quality and school culture are significant drivers of success here. All three schools show a peak in math proficiency in 7th grade, pointing to effective instruction at that grade level across the area.
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