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Below Average

#7524 of 9,539 schools in CA

Sierra Middle

Middle School · Bakersfield City · Bakersfield, CA

A Bakersfield City middle school where students score 5 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3017 Center St., Bakersfield, CA 93306

  • Math 5% vs CA 34% (2024)
  • Reading 24% vs CA 47% (2024)
  • 21.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.9Needs Improvement40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data13
Annual Change-2.07 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics3.8Needs Improvement35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency5.8% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency24.3% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-28.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-21.6 pts
Overall Proficiency15% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)20% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-5.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile19th
Resources & Environment7.5Very Good25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio21.3:1
District spending per student$19,155
Chronic Absenteeism28%

Students at Sierra Middle score 15% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 20%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency5%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
34%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency24%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
47%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 5 points since 2018, to 15% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 13 years
2009
Math
29%
ELA
28%
2010
Math
34%
ELA
32%
2011
Math
41%
ELA
36%
2012
Math
37%
ELA
35%
2013
Math
90%
ELA
90%
2014
Math
8%
ELA
22%
2015
Math
11%
ELA
25%
2016
Math
9%
ELA
20%
2017
Math
14%
ELA
23%
2018
Math
12%
ELA
28%
2019
Math
12%
ELA
28%
2022
Math
5%
ELA
22%
2024
Math
5%
ELA
24%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 20% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 32 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

96.1%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Sierra Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 60Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 41Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,028/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Bakersfield), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$66,988

Median home value

$290,700

Median rent

$1,219/mo

College educated

18.2%

Homeownership

63.3%

Poverty rate

20.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93306; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Bethel ChristianPrivate · tuition6.0privateK–120.8 mi41Compare →
Compton Junior HighEnrollment path unverified4.67–81.3 mi575Compare →
Bakersfield Adventist AcademyPrivate · tuition6.0privateK–121.4 mi128Compare →
Curran MiddleEnrollment path unverified6.06–8Not available1,043Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Bakersfield City

Schools in district
45
Rank in district
#26 of 44
District spending per student
$19,155NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
33.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

Sierra Middle is listed in Bakersfield City; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Sierra Middle

Sierra Middle is a public middle school in Bakersfield, CA, part of Bakersfield City, serving approximately 746 students in grades 6th-8th with a 21.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 out of 10 and ranks #7,524 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 20% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 30% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Sierra Middle

What grades does Sierra Middle serve?

Sierra Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Sierra Middle?

Sierra Middle has an enrollment of approximately 746 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle is 21.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sierra Middle rank in CA?

Sierra Middle ranks #7,524 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Sierra Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Sierra Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 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 Sierra Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sierra Middle has 20% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 30% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Sierra Middle a charter school?

No, Sierra Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Sierra Middle a Title I school?

No, Sierra Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sierra Middle?

96.1% of students at Sierra Middle 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
746
Student-Teacher Ratio
21.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
35
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Kern County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
28.0%
Area population (ZIP 93306)
73,370
Area average commute
24.6 min
Area median age
32.4
About this school's data

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

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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · 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 93306; 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, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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