Bp Stem Academy, Baldwin Park CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bp Stem Academy

BP STEM Academy, a public school in Baldwin Park serving grades three through eight, sits in a district navigating substantial enrollment decline. The school's academic profile is uneven, with notably different patterns across subjects and grade spans that any prospective family should understand before choosing this path.

In English language arts, the school shows a mixed picture. Students in the upper elementary grades (four and five) demonstrate stronger proficiency, while results drop sharply in the middle grades. By the time students reach grade six, performance dips significantly and remains low through grade eight, hovering below halfway proficiency. Grade three ELA results sit at around half of students meeting standards. The pattern suggests an instructional challenge or transition difficulty as students move into the secondary curriculum.

Mathematics presents a starker concern. Grade four is the only tested grade where proficiency climbs toward two-thirds of students; in every other grade, fewer than half of students meet standards. Grade three math sits at just above half, while grades five through eight all show results in the low to mid-range or lower, with grade eight particularly low. This grade-level cliff in mathematics warrants direct conversation with school leaders about the curriculum, instruction, and support systems in place.

Science results, available only for grades five and eight, show grade five students performing comparably well, but grade eight science proficiency drops to just over two-fifths of students. The school positions itself as a STEM academy, and these results suggest the STEM identity may be aspirational rather than fully realized in outcomes, especially at the middle-grade level.

Against the comparison set of districts across Los Angeles County, BP STEM Academy lands above the midpoint on overall proficiency when averaging across all tested subjects and grades, a positioning that reflects the stronger elementary performance offsetting weaker secondary results. The school still sits below many peers, a fact families should weigh carefully.

The school serves a distinct student population: nearly all students come from households qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and roughly five-sixths identify as Hispanic. About one in ten students identify as Asian, with very small populations of other racial and ethnic groups. The school's enrollment skews slightly toward the upper middle grades, with grades six through eight representing a substantial share of the total student body. Special education and English learner enrollment data were not available, making it difficult to assess whether the school serves these populations and what support structures exist for them.

The Baldwin Park housing market remains relatively affordable by Los Angeles County standards, and the city's recent growth has centered on transit-oriented multifamily development downtown near the Metrolink station. The school itself operates under significant district constraints: Baldwin Park Unified has closed multiple elementary schools in recent years due to declining enrollment and voted to consolidate BP STEM Academy at the end of 2023-24, though the school remains operational. Families considering BP STEM should confirm directly with the district whether this consolidation plan remains active or has changed, as it fundamentally affects the school's future.

The district does operate a Dual Language Immersion program in Spanish and English running from elementary through high school, with a pathway to the California State Seal of Biliteracy. If Spanish-English bilingual education aligns with a family's goals, that distinctive offering may carry weight in the decision. The district has also benefited from facility improvements funded by voter-approved bonds, including new air conditioning and security upgrades across campuses.

A parent weighing BP STEM Academy should pursue deeper conversations about the mathematics instruction at the middle-grade level, clarify the current status of any consolidation plans, and understand what English learner and special education support the school provides given the enrollment profile.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 38% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 30% · ▲ 38 pts above district

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

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 21% · ▲ 33 pts above district

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

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 28% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 29% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 39% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 485%

School 85% · District 35% · ▲ 50 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 581%

School 81% · District 41% · ▲ 40 pts above district

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

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 41% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 40% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 23% · ▲ 46 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 28% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 50% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

This schoolBaldwin Park 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-income38%Higher-income38%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income92%51 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income50%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income36%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income69%41 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income36%15 pp gap