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Public middle school · Palmdale Elementary · Palmdale, California

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad rates 5.3, below most Palmdale Elementary middle schools, whose rated median is 6.1.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.3this school

5.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Palmdale Elementary median is 6.1.

#7,171 of 9,557 schools in California · Palmdale Elementary: 5 middle schools rated, median 6.1

The brief

A Palmdale Elementary middle school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 7,171 of 9,557 schools in California and 22 of 29 in Palmdale Elementary.

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is listed in Palmdale Elementary, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math10%26 points below the California average of 36%2025 CAASPP
Reading30%19 points below the California average of 49%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 15 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 20% recently.2025 CAASPP; 40 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.7
40% of the rating
Academics
4.3
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.9
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 16% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 93550; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

Open the Los Angeles school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.

The area

Median income
$63,811
Median home value
$378,700
Median rent
$1,573/mo
College educated
10%
Homeownership
52.8%
Poverty rate
19.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93550; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
8
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
17
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,204/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Palmdale. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Palmdale), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
90.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy3.5 mi
    6.7Compare →
  2. Palmdale Academy Charter2.2 mi · charter
    6.4Compare →
  3. Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy2.0 mi
    6.2Compare →
  4. Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy1.6 mi
    6.1Compare →
  5. Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acadthis school
    5.3
  6. Palmdale Aerospace Academy2.4 mi · charter
    4.8Compare →
  7. Antelope Valley Learning Academy2.4 mi · charter
    4.2Compare →
Six grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad serve?

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has an enrollment of approximately 1,020 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is 24.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad rank in CA?

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad ranks #7,171 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad has 16% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 32% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad a charter school?

No, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad a Title I school?

No, Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad?

90.8% of students at Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
1,020
Student-teacher ratio
24.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
41
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Los Angeles County
Phone
(661) 285-5866
Rank in district
#22 of 29
Schools in district
29
District spending per student
$17,861
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93550)
79,929
Area average commute
42.2 min
Area median age
31.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.