New West Charter, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on New West Charter

New West Charter is a middle and high school located on the Westside of Los Angeles, serving grades six through twelve as a State Board of Education-authorized charter school. The school enrolls roughly a thousand students and sits in a zip code where housing values are substantially above the state average and monthly rents are moderate to high, reflecting the Westside's affluent residential character.

The school's student body is predominantly white, with meaningful representation of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. About a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a mix of household incomes though skewed toward families with greater economic means than the county average.

In English language arts, New West's students perform well. Across grades six through eight, reading proficiency runs in the mid-to-high range, with strong results especially in eighth grade. The school's all-grades English proficiency sits solidly above the median for schools tested across Los Angeles County. In math, however, the picture is notably different. Proficiency drops sharply from sixth grade through eighth grade, falling from around mid-range in sixth grade to the lower third by seventh and eighth grade. Across all tested grades and math levels, the school's overall math proficiency places it above the midpoint among county schools, but this aggregate masks a steep decline as students advance through middle school. Science proficiency at eighth grade sits around the middle range. Only one year of state assessment data is available, so a reader cannot yet see whether the math decline reflects a sustained pattern or year-to-year fluctuation.

The school's charter was renewed through mid-2030, providing continuity for families considering a multi-year commitment. The publicly reported academic trends from the charter renewal documentation indicate that reading proficiency declined between 2022 and 2024, while math showed modest gains over the same span. A parent considering enrollment may want to look into the school's approach to mathematics instruction and support, particularly for middle grades, and to ask directly about what the school has observed about the reading trend and what changes, if any, it has made in response.

Los Angeles itself is a sprawling, polycentric city with sharp neighborhood variation. The Westside, where New West sits, is a quieter, family-oriented residential area with strong walkability in some pockets and good access to services, parks, and schools. The broader region is in active housing growth and rezoning, with downtown undergoing major transformation ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Metro bus and rail options serve the city widely, though Los Angeles remains car-dependent in most areas. The economy is large and diverse, anchored by major employers including UCLA, county and city government, Kaiser Permanente, aerospace and defense contractors, and entertainment companies.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 131 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

This schoolNew West Charter District, 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-income57%Higher-income75%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income60%Higher-income68%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income79%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income61%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income43%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income34%4 pp gap