Wells Middle, Riverside CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Wells Middle

Wells Middle serves grades six through eight in Riverside, California, as part of Alvord Unified School District. The school enrolls a small to mid-sized cohort across its three grades, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. A very substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The most pressing characteristic of Wells Middle is its academic performance. On California's 2024-25 state assessments in English language arts and mathematics, proficiency rates are low across all grade levels. In English, proficiency ranges from low to low-to-mid teens across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. In mathematics, proficiency falls into single digits for all three grades. Science proficiency, measured only at eighth grade, is also low. When positioned against other districts in Riverside County, Wells Middle's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile.

The school's older social studies data from 2012-13 showed markedly different results, with a proficiency rate around the midpoint, though that assessment and standard have since changed. Current testing data does not include trend lines stretching back years, so a parent cannot yet see whether performance has shifted. A parent may want to look into this further with the school: whether recent interventions or shifts in curriculum and instruction are underway, what supports are in place for students below proficiency, and what the school's own targets and plans are for improvement.

Enrollment data flags no reported figures for special education or English learner populations, so the extent of these groups at Wells Middle is not clear from the available data.

Alvord Unified passed a general obligation bond in November 2022 that funds facility upgrades, safety enhancements, technology updates, and new construction for career and technical programs across the district. The bond carries a lasting property tax cost for the community; this is a concrete district-level fact a family moving to the area would factor in.

Riverside's housing market is moderately priced relative to the state benchmark, and rental costs are moderate as well. The local unemployment rate is in the low single digits, and median household income sits above the national figure.

Wells Middle is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. The available data does not include information about program offerings, staffing, attendance rates, or disciplinary practices. Grade bands served are six through eight, which is standard for middle school, and the school operates as a comprehensive neighborhood school rather than a specialized program site.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 24% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 21% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 23% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 37% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 36% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 41% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolAlvord 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 7Lower-income21%Higher-income33%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income25%16 pp gap