The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Alliance Jack H. Skirball Middle
Alliance Jack H. Skirball Middle is a charter middle school serving grades six through eight in South Los Angeles, with an enrollment of roughly four hundred students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black. The school is part of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a network that has recently restructured its school day to expand teacher planning time and student support, a shift that families should understand as part of the school's current operating model.
On state assessments, proficiency rates sit below the county median across tested subjects. In English language arts, students in sixth through eighth grade show proficiency rates ranging from the low to mid-forties in percentage terms. Math performance is notably lower, with sixth-grade proficiency in the low thirties and eighth-grade proficiency dropping to the low twenties. Eighth-grade science proficiency is in the mid-thirties. Compared to districts across Los Angeles County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. These results reflect the broader challenge many high-poverty schools face in building grade-level skills, and a parent may want to look into the school's approach to math intervention and support in particular, especially as students advance through eighth grade.
The school earned recognition as a 2024 California Distinguished School, a state designation acknowledging progress in closing achievement gaps. This distinction suggests the school has made measurable gains and maintains a focus on equitable outcomes, even as overall proficiency remains below county benchmarks. The broader Alliance network has recently implemented a redesigned school day that roughly doubles teacher planning time while expanding enrichment and intervention blocks for students. This structural change means the daily schedule now carves out dedicated time for both adult professional collaboration and targeted student support, which families should view as a deliberate investment in instruction and teacher quality.
The school sits in South Los Angeles, an urban neighborhood with a long history as a community center for Black and Latino families. Housing values in the broader 90059 zip code are moderate relative to broader Los Angeles, though rents reflect the broader regional cost of living. The area has transit access and is part of the densely settled, mixed-use urban fabric that characterizes much of central Los Angeles.
Alliance Jack H. Skirball Middle enrolls students from its immediate catchment and serves a population with very high rates of economic need. The school's peer environment is predominantly students of color in a Title I context. For families seeking a charter option with intentional focus on teacher collaboration and student support systems, and who are willing to engage with a school working to raise proficiency from below-county-average starting points, the school offers that pathway. Parents considering enrollment should understand the current proficiency levels, the concentration of economic need, and the recent structural changes to school operations as part of a realistic picture of what the school is and where it is heading.
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