Cardozo Middle, Riverbank CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cardozo Middle

Cardozo Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Riverbank, a small, growing city in Stanislaus County north of Modesto. The school enrolls a student body of about that size for its grade band, with enrollment fairly balanced across the three grades. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white students and other groups represented.

The academic picture shows consistent challenges across tested subjects. In English language arts, students score in the low to mid range, with each grade demonstrating proficiency rates in the low to mid thirties. Mathematics proficiency is notably lower, with rates in the low to mid teens across grades six through eight, a gap that widens in grade eight. Science proficiency on the state assessment is in the low teens as well. These results place Cardozo in the bottom quartile among districts in Stanislaus County on an overall proficiency index. A parent evaluating this school should understand that students here are not meeting grade-level standards at high rates, and the school faces a substantial academic support need, particularly in math. The data does not reveal what interventions or support structures the school has in place, so a conversation with the school about tutoring, remediation, and instructional approaches would be valuable.

Riverbank itself is a city shaped by growth and change. Historically rooted in agriculture and manufacturing, it now centers much of its civic life in a compact, remodeled downtown along Santa Fe Street, where the library, a historic Carnegie building (now a museum), shops and residences cluster. The broader city is primarily suburban, with newer master-planned residential areas such as Crossroads expanding on the city's edges. Major employment includes the Riverbank Industrial Complex, a former munitions plant now housing advanced manufacturing and industrial services, as well as health care, manufacturing, and public administration. Housing is actively developing; new construction from national builders is visible, with recently opened communities marketed from entry-level prices upward. Home values in the area are moderate relative to California, and residents predominantly own rather than rent.

The Riverbank Unified School District has signaled commitment to facility and program expansion. Voters approved two separate bond measures within months of each other in early and late 2024. Measure N passed in March, and Measure E passed in November, authorizing substantial general obligation bonds to expand Career and Technical Education classrooms, replace aging facilities, and upgrade security and communications. These bonds will be repaid through property taxes over decades, a factor prospective homebuyers in the district should factor into long-term tax obligations. The emphasis on CTE expansion suggests the district is positioning itself to offer career and technical pathways alongside traditional academics.

For a family considering Cardozo, the key takeaway is straightforward: this is a school with below-average test results in a district that is investing heavily in physical plant and career education. Whether the school is a fit depends on your child's current academic standing, your capacity to provide supplemental support, and your sense of the school's responsiveness to academic intervention. The broader community is young, growing, and relatively affordable compared to many parts of California, with suburban living and access to small-town downtown amenities.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 20% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 11%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 42% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 36% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 14% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 29% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolRiverbank Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income51%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income34%Higher-income36%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income20%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income12%Higher-income32%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income14%5 pp gap