Albany Middle, Albany CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Albany Middle

Albany Middle is a regular public middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in a small, dense residential city of the East Bay. The school enrolls a student population that is roughly evenly distributed across its three grades, with a notably diverse demographic makeup: the student body is about one-third Asian, one-quarter white, one-fifth multiracial, and one-sixth Hispanic, with smaller Black and Native American representation. About one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income enrollment in a high-cost housing market where median home values are substantial.

Academically, Albany Middle shows solid proficiency across tested subjects. In English language arts, the school reports proficiency in the high range across all three grades, with sixth grade performing strongest. Mathematics proficiency is somewhat lower but still in the mid-to-high range, consistent across grades. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits in the near-moderate range, the softest metric among subjects tested. When proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, Albany Middle ranks in the top quartile of schools among Alameda County districts, placing it meaningfully above the county median. Trend data for the current school year is limited to a single year, so longer-term trajectory cannot be assessed.

The school sits within Albany Unified School District, a small district that has recently navigated significant fiscal and funding questions. In March 2024, voters approved Measure G, a parcel tax structured by building square footage that replaced a flat-rate tax, generating ongoing revenue but also locking in a recurring property tax for families. In November 2024, voters approved Measure L, a major bond measure for school facility modernization and construction. The district declared a budget deficit in 2023-24 and adopted expenditure reductions; even with Measure G revenue, the district notes per-pupil funding remains below the state average due to Albany's small size. These are material considerations for families weighing the school's stability and resources over time.

Albany itself is a walkable, compact city built around two main commercial corridors, Solano Avenue and San Pablo Avenue, with residential neighborhoods of densely packed single-family homes. The built environment is human-scaled and pedestrian-friendly, with abundant local shops, cafes, and community institutions embedded in the street grid rather than isolated on campuses. The Ohlone Greenway trail runs through the city alongside BART, and regional transit connects to Berkeley and Oakland. Recent development has focused on mid-rise mixed-use housing on auto-oriented corridors and affordable housing projects; the former Golden Gate Fields racetrack site, which closed in 2024, is being acquired by the Trust for Public Land for conversion to a public park. The city's schools and civic life are woven into this walkable residential fabric, with memorial parks and the library within walking distance of neighborhoods.

For a family considering Albany Middle, the draw is solid academic proficiency, a diverse peer group, and walkable access to school and community amenities. The offsetting reality is that the district operates in a constrained fiscal environment, property taxes are locked in by two recent voter measures, and the school's math and science proficiency, while respectable, trails its English language arts performance, a pattern a parent may want to explore further with the school when evaluating fit.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 680%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 779%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolAlbany City 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-income67%Higher-income86%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income63%Higher-income85%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income79%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income79%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income51%Higher-income72%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income75%22 pp gap