William B. Bristow Middle, Brentwood CA

Original Research by School Decision on William B. Bristow Middle

William B. Bristow Middle serves a middle school population of about that size for its grade band, spanning grades 6 through 8. The school sits in Brentwood, a fast-growing suburban city in eastern Contra Costa County where most residents own homes and families predominate. Once a farming town surrounded by orchards, Brentwood has transformed into a bedroom community where many residents commute to Bay Area employers; the city itself is anchored by a downtown core with local shops and restaurants, a public library, an extensive parks and trails system, and bus transit connecting residents to regional destinations. Home values in the area are moderately higher than the state average, and rents have risen recently, reflecting broader regional demand.

The school's student body reflects Brentwood's demographic diversity. The enrollment is split fairly evenly among white, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students, with smaller populations of Black and Native American students. About one in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of family incomes but not a high-poverty population. Specific data on English learners and students with disabilities were not available.

Academic performance, measured by California state assessments, shows a consistent pattern: proficiency in English language arts is substantially higher than in mathematics and science. About half of students in grades 6 and 7 demonstrated proficiency in ELA, with slightly lower proficiency in grade 8. In mathematics, proficiency rates run notably lower, in the low-to-mid range across all three grades. Science proficiency, measured only in grade 8, is low. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it below the midpoint among districts in Contra Costa County. The school has only one recent year of state testing data, so a trend line or change over time cannot be observed. A parent considering this school may want to ask about ongoing intervention efforts in math and science, and whether any curriculum changes or support programs are in place.

The school's profile is relatively complete for academic testing and enrollment demographics but lacks information in several areas commonly relevant to middle school families. Data on attendance and chronic absenteeism, school discipline, staffing levels, course access, and any specialized programs or clubs were not available in the records provided. The school's website may carry more detail on these dimensions.

Brentwood itself is a context of rapid growth. The city's population has grown substantially over recent decades as farmland has been converted to housing subdivisions, and growth continues with new master-planned communities and downtown housing projects underway. For families choosing a school, this means an expanding school population and a community in flux, with the attendant infrastructure demands and neighborhood-building momentum typical of fast-growing suburbs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 43% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 45% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 44% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 59% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 56% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 38% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 75% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

This schoolBrentwood Union, 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-income42%Higher-income56%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income61%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income34%Higher-income56%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income37%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income39%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income37%18 pp gap