Griffiths (gordon) Middle, Downey CA

Original Research by School Decision on Griffiths (gordon) Middle

Griffiths (Gordon) Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Downey, a compact, largely developed suburb in southeastern Los Angeles County. The school enrolls a student body that reflects the city's demographic profile: the vast majority of students are Hispanic, and a substantial share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic need in the enrollment population.

The school's recent state test results show mixed performance. In English language arts, students score in the mid-to-upper range, with seventh-graders performing stronger than sixth or eighth graders. Math proficiency is lower, falling below the median across all three grades, and most noticeably among eighth graders. Science proficiency, measured only for eighth grade, shows that fewer than half of students meet the standard. These results position the school above the midpoint on overall proficiency compared to other districts in Los Angeles County, but they point to algebra and STEM coursework as areas where additional support may make a difference for students as they advance. A parent may want to look into how the school approaches math intervention and which support resources it offers students who find the transition to higher algebra challenging.

Downey itself is a car-oriented, primarily residential area with a strong commercial corridor along Firestone Boulevard and a civic core centered on Brookshire Avenue near the library and city hall. The city retains an aerospace heritage—it was home to Rockwell International and earned the nickname "Home of the Apollo"—and that legacy coexists with present-day employment in healthcare (anchored by the large Rancho Los Amigos rehabilitation center and Kaiser Permanente), education, retail, and municipal services. The housing market reflects greater Los Angeles affordability pressure: homes in the area are valued well above state and national benchmarks, and monthly mortgage costs substantially exceed monthly rent, making ownership a significant financial commitment for many households. The city is pursuing infill development and new housing, but construction remains constrained by the existing built-out suburban character.

Griffiths Middle sits within the Downey Unified School District, a major local employer. The school's position in the county comparison is solid but not exceptional: proficiency is above the midpoint, but the data suggests the school's strength is in literacy and reading-based learning rather than quantitative or scientific reasoning. For a family in Downey with a middle-grades student, this school offers a neighborhood setting and serves a student population similar in composition to the surrounding community. Whether it is the right fit depends partly on what support and academic momentum your student needs as they enter the final years before high school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 40% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 40% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 36% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 659%

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

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

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 56% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 50% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 36% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 58% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolDowney 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-income55%Higher-income71%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income61%Higher-income74%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income51%Higher-income68%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income65%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income67%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income58%13 pp gap