Almond Tree Middle, Delano CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Almond Tree Middle

Almond Tree Middle serves grades six through eight in Delano, a mid-sized agricultural city in the San Joaquin Valley. The school enrolls roughly the size of the neighborhood it serves, with a majority Hispanic student body reflecting the area's farmworker economy and considerable agricultural employment. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the student population draws from families with limited income.

On the most recent state assessments, the school's profile shows strength in English language arts and a meaningful challenge in mathematics and science. In sixth-grade ELA, students performed solidly. By seventh grade, ELA proficiency lifted further and represents the school's clearest strength. Eighth-grade ELA held steady just below that seventh-grade result. In mathematics, proficiency sits in the low-to-mid range across all three grades, with modest improvement from grade six through eight. Eighth-grade science proficiency, the only grade tested, is notably lower than performance in ELA, suggesting science instruction or student preparation in that subject warrants attention. Compared to other districts in Kern County, Almond Tree's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, meaning it outperforms the median school in its county peer set. This positioning is meaningful context for a school serving a high-poverty population.

The school is part of Delano Union Elementary, a district serving the city. State assessment data was not available for prior years, so trend information is unavailable, and the district brief did not surface parent-relevant recent changes. No information on graduation rate applies here, as this is a middle school. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were not reported. A parent interested in those details should contact the school directly.

Delano itself is experiencing moderate growth with active new residential construction and several retail and mixed-use development projects underway, suggesting a community in economic transition. Housing costs in the area are below state averages, and the local employment base remains heavily agriculture-focused, though health care, retail, and public employers also operate in the city. Schools here serve students whose families often work in the surrounding farm economy, and this shapes daily life in visible ways.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 35% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

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

English language arts

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 54% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 62% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 54% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 25% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolDelano Union Elementary, 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-income56%Higher-income71%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income64%Higher-income93%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income47%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income69%40 pp gap