Valley Charter Middle, Van Nuys CA

Original Research by School Decision on Valley Charter Middle

Valley Charter Middle is a middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles. The school operates as a charter public school within the Valley Charter Middle District.

The school enrolls a small body of students across its three grades. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with white and Asian students also present in smaller numbers. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with significant economic need. The enrollment data does not break out counts for students with individualized education plans or English learners, so parents may want to ask the school directly about those populations and the support services available.

On state assessments, Valley Charter Middle's proficiency results are below what a parent would typically see in higher-performing middle schools. In English language arts, students across the three grades show proficiency rates in the low-to-mid range. In math, proficiency is notably lower, with sixth graders around mid-range, seventh graders substantially lower, and eighth graders in the lower-to-mid range. Science proficiency in eighth grade is also in the lower range. When averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Los Angeles County. A parent considering this school should understand that academic performance, as measured by state testing, is a substantial challenge area.

The school is located in a housing market where median home values and rents are moderate for the Los Angeles area. The neighborhood is part of the broader San Fernando Valley region.

The district brief search found no recent major policy changes, charter renewal decisions, or curriculum shifts that would constitute a discrete parent-facing change. The school's main trends appear to be enrollment patterns rather than new strategic directions.

The charter status means the school operates under a contract with its authorizing entity and follows its own governance rather than being part of a larger unified district. Parents interested in what makes Valley Charter Middle's approach distinctive, what electives or enrichment it offers, or how it addresses the academic gaps reflected in its state testing results should visit the school directly or contact the administration, as those details were not available in the data reviewed.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 617%

School 17% · district not reported

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

Grade 711%

School 11% · district not reported

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

Grade 824%

School 24% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 634%

School 34% · district not reported

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

Grade 737%

School 37% · district not reported

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 818%

School 18% · district not reported

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

This schoolDistrict average, 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-income32%Higher-income43%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income36%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income69%46 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income21%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income18%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income44%24 pp gap