Talbert (samuel E.) Middle, Huntington Beach CA

Original Research by School Decision on Talbert (samuel E.) Middle

Talbert Middle sits in Huntington Beach, a coastal Orange County city shaped by beach culture, aerospace industry presence, and a mix of single-family and increasingly multi-family residential neighborhoods. The school enrolls a cross-section of the community's students in grades six through eight, with a student body that is predominantly white and Asian, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. About a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the area's relatively higher household income levels.

In academics, the school shows strength in English language arts. Across all three grades, proficiency rates in ELA run well above six in ten, with eighth graders reaching nearly eight in ten proficient. This suggests solid reading and writing instruction, with students progressing well through the middle grades. Math is the school's softer subject. Grade six and grade seven proficiency rates sit at about three-fifths or slightly below, while grade eight reaches about two-thirds. The pattern suggests students find their footing as they move up, yet math remains a subject where a meaningful share of students do not meet proficiency benchmarks. Eighth-grade science proficiency is just under two-thirds. When test results are viewed across all subjects and grades, Talbert's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of schools in its comparison set of Orange County middle and high schools, a solid standing that reflects strength in ELA carrying the overall picture.

In the broader context, Huntington Beach itself is experiencing active real estate market movement and housing development pressure. Home values are substantial, and rents reflect a high cost-of-living area, though the regional unemployment rate sits modestly above national norms. The city is in the midst of major redevelopment projects, including a large mixed-use proposal near the former Magnolia Tank Farm site and downtown infill work, reflecting demand for housing in a community where single-family neighborhoods dominate but vertical development is beginning to advance. Schools in this district draw from a community with above-average household income, though Boeing's presence as a major employer has been marked by recent layoffs in the region.

The school itself is a regular public middle school with no special designation. Enrollment sits at a level typical for the grade band in the area, with modest class sizes by grade. No data was available on staffing, attendance, discipline, or English learner and special education population counts, gaps that may reflect reporting practices or the school's own data publication.

For families considering Talbert, the takeaway is a school with notable strength in language arts and a strong overall proficiency index relative to other schools in Orange County, paired with softer math performance in the lower grades that improves by eighth grade. The community is affluent and growing, with an active housing market and established neighborhood character, though housing costs are high and families should weigh that carefully against income and local employment stability.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 68% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 68% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 68% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 79% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 78% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 79% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 65% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 75% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

This schoolFountain Valley 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-income57%Higher-income82%25 pp gap

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

Grade 8Lower-income62%Higher-income83%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income64%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income59%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income52%Higher-income69%17 pp gap