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Needs Improvement

#3723 of 3,778 schools in FL

Westwood Middle School

Middle School · Polk · Winter Haven, FL

A Polk middle school where students score 15 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3520 AVENUE J NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881

  • Math 23% vs FL 53% (2024)
  • Reading 25% vs FL 52% (2024)
  • 19.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.4Needs Improvement40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.55 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.8Needs Improvement35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency23% (2024 FAST)
Reading/ELA Proficiency25.3% (2024 FAST)
Math vs. State Avg-32.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-29.1 pts
Overall Proficiency24% (2024 FAST, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)40% (model expectation from 2024 FAST)
vs. Expected-15.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile10th
Resources & Environment2.8Needs Improvement25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio19.7:1
District spending per student$11,242
Chronic Absenteeism67.2%

Students at Westwood Middle School score 24% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 40%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 FAST proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. FL average.

Math Proficiency23%(2024 FAST)
School
State
53%(2024 FAST)
ELA Proficiency25%(2024 FAST)
School
State
52%(2024 FAST)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 24 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 24% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
46%
ELA
51%
2010
Math
46%
ELA
48%
2011
Math
33%
ELA
37%
2012
Math
34%
ELA
38%
2013
ELA
35%
2014
Math
36%
ELA
34%
2015
Math
30%
ELA
31%
2016
Math
29%
ELA
30%
2017
Math
36%
ELA
30%
2018
Math
31%
ELA
29%
2019
Math
31%
ELA
29%
2020*
Math
19%
ELA
26%
2021*
Math
19%
ELA
26%
2022
Math
21%
ELA
24%
2024
Math
23%
ELA
25%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 33 test records from FL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

77.8%

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 Westwood Middle School 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 28Car-Dependent
  • Bike 39Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,786/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Winter Haven), 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

$53,867

Median home value

$177,400

Median rent

$1,153/mo

College educated

18%

Homeownership

69.6%

Poverty rate

17.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 33881; 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
Oasis Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition5.3K–121.5 mi290Compare →
All Hope Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition6.3K–121.9 mi54Compare →
Treasures of Life AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot rated1–122.0 mi13Compare →
All Saints AcademyPrivate · tuition7.2PK–122.2 mi571Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Polk

Schools in district
167
Rank in district
#150 of 155
District spending per student
$11,242NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Westwood Middle School is listed in POLK; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Westwood Middle School

Westwood Middle School is a public middle school in Winter Haven, FL, part of Polk, serving approximately 829 students in grades 6th-8th with a 19.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.0 out of 10 and ranks #3,723 of 3,778 schools in FL. State assessment records show 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 32% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Westwood Middle School

What grades does Westwood Middle School serve?

Westwood Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Westwood Middle School?

Westwood Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 829 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Westwood Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Westwood Middle School is 19.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Westwood Middle School rank in FL?

Westwood Middle School ranks #3,723 of 3,778 schools in FL.

What is Westwood Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Westwood Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.0 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 Westwood Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Westwood Middle School has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 32% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Westwood Middle School a charter school?

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

Is Westwood Middle School a Title I school?

No, Westwood Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

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

77.8% of students at Westwood Middle School 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
829
Student-Teacher Ratio
19.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
42
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Polk County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
67.2%
Area population (ZIP 33881)
39,189
Area average commute
33.4 min
Area median age
43.6
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 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 FAST. 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 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 FAST. 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 33881; 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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