Kings Canyon Middle headlines most-improved Fresno public middle schools
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How strong are the public middle schools in Fresno?
With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — which include comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year and those that lead their peers.
Kings Canyon Middle School's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in Fresno, rising from a C to a C+, according to data from Niche.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 5117 E. Tulare St., enrolls 897 students. Kings Canyon Middle School serves a diverse population: 72% of students identify as Hispanic and 16% identify as Asian. Niche graded the school a C for academics (on an A-D scale).
The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.
Academically, 19% of Kings Canyon Middle School's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 27% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 23% in math and 37% in reading. The school's improved overall rating is notable in that it serves a less-affluent population, with 96% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 16% more than the city average.
It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Glacier Point Middle School saw its overall rating jump from a C to a C+. The school is located at 4055 N. Bryan Ave. and currently serves 893 students, of whom 64% identify as Hispanic, 14% identify as Asian and 11% identify as black.
Niche graded Glacier Point Middle School a C for academics on an A-D scale. The school's latest math proficiency was at 19%, and reading proficiency was 34%.
Sequoia Middle School also saw improvement in its overall rating, from C- to C. The school is located at 4050 E. Hamilton Ave. and has 856 students currently enrolled, of whom 80% identify as Hispanic and 13% identify as Asian.
Niche graded Sequoia Middle School a C- for academics on an A-D scale. Its latest math proficiency was at 11%, and reading proficiency was 21%. The school also serves a less-affluent community, with 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
While some public middle schools in Fresno are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:
Granite Ridge Intermediate School, with an overall rating of A.
Kastner Intermediate School, with an A rating overall.
Edison Computech, rated A- overall.
Want more of the latest intel on Fresno schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's public elementary-middle schools.
This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
