Durham Intermediate, Durham CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Durham Intermediate

Durham Intermediate sits in a small rural farming community in Butte County, serving the middle grades in a consolidated school campus located on Putney Drive. The school enrolls a modest number of students across grades six through eight, with about three-quarters of the enrollment identifying as white and about one-fifth as Hispanic, reflecting the demographics of the agricultural area. More than one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's recent state assessment results show mixed performance across subjects. In English language arts, students in grade seven perform notably better than those in grades six and eight, with proficiency centered around one-half to two-thirds of students demonstrating grade-level competency. Math proficiency is lower overall and more uneven by grade, with seventh grade performing best but eighth grade proficiency dropping to around one-third. Science testing, available only for eighth grade, shows proficiency around two-fifths of students. When proficiency is averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school ranks in the top quartile among the county's districts on this composite measure.

The school is experiencing substantial physical transformation. A major facilities rebuild approved through the local Measure X bond is reshaping the Durham Intermediate campus itself, a multi-year construction project that will replace portable classrooms with permanent facilities and upgrade outdated spaces. An additional school facilities bond, Measure B, approved by voters in November 2024, funds further district-wide improvements and unlocks state matching funds. These investments reflect community commitment to the physical plant, though families with students currently at the school may experience some disruption during ongoing construction.

Durham itself is a small, rural agricultural place defined by almond and walnut orchards, with an owner-occupied, single-family housing stock spread across a low-density landscape. Median home values are moderate for California, and housing affordability is notably better than the state average. The community offers outdoor recreation through a park district, a library branch, and a veterans memorial hall, but lacks the concentrated walkable downtown core of an urban or suburban setting. Employment centers on agriculture and the public sector, including the school district. Growth is incremental rather than rapid, and the pace of life reflects a farming community character.

State assessment data carries a single year of results, so trend information was not available. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were not reported, so a parent may want to look into how the school supports these populations. The school serves grades six through eight only, so no high school pathway information applies here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

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

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

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

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 65%

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

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

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

Science

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

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

Social studies

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 52%

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

This schoolDurham 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-income60%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income76%34 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income49%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income56%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income64%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income46%29 pp gap