Jefferson Leadership Academies, Long Beach CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Leadership Academies

Jefferson Leadership Academies is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Long Beach, California. The school enrolls a student population that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of Black and Asian students as well. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with significant economic need.

The school's academic performance shows an uneven profile across subjects. In English Language Arts, students perform comparably better, with roughly half of sixth graders meeting proficiency standards and the proportion climbing to near three-fifths by eighth grade. Mathematics presents a steeper challenge: proficiency rates hover in the low-to-mid range across all three grades, with the lowest performance appearing in sixth grade. Science proficiency, measured only at eighth grade, falls notably below ELA. When averaged across tested subjects and grades, Jefferson's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among schools in Los Angeles County, suggesting the school faces broad academic headwinds that require sustained focus.

The school sits within Long Beach Unified School District, which itself is navigating structural changes. The district has experienced sustained enrollment decline over recent years and has begun consolidating schools; Hudson Elementary closed at the end of the last school year, a signal that further boundary shifts may affect neighborhood school assignments going forward. Meanwhile, the district is implementing the state-mandated ethnic studies curriculum, adding a new graduation requirement that includes dual-enrollment options with Cal State Long Beach—a pathway that may open college-credit opportunities for high schoolers but also means curriculum is in transition.

At the district level, voters approved Measure Q, a substantial bond measure in 2022 to repair aging campuses, upgrade safety and drinking water infrastructure, and expand career-education labs. Implementation of this work is underway and will extend over many years, representing a long-term property tax commitment for homeowners but also a commitment to modernizing facilities.

Jefferson's location on Euclid Avenue places it in a dense, mixed urban setting. Long Beach itself is in a marked growth phase, especially downtown, with thousands of new housing units approved and under development. The city's waterfront districts and walkable commercial areas draw families, though neighborhoods vary considerably in character and price. Housing costs in the area reflect broader Los Angeles County trends and affordability pressures. For families considering Jefferson, the school's academic profile suggests they would be choosing a neighborhood-based public middle school with solid ELA performance but significant math and science learning gaps, embedded in a district managing enrollment shifts and capital modernization. A parent may want to look into what additional tutoring, intervention, or enrichment supports the school offers to address the math gap.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 37% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 35% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 759%

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

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

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 53% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 29% · ▼ 2 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 52% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolLong Beach 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-income48%Higher-income51%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income57%Higher-income65%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income71%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income33%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income43%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income41%11 pp gap