Muir K-8, Long Beach CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Muir K-8

Muir K-8 is a school of roughly one thousand students serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Long Beach's central area. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Asian and Black student populations, and a clear majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits within a city that is itself demographically diverse, economically anchored by the port and aerospace sectors, and in the midst of a major housing and downtown revitalization.

Academically, Muir's state test results reflect real constraints. In mathematics, proficiency across tested grades ranges from low-to-mid levels, with the clearest ceiling appearing in grade four and six. English language arts shows a different pattern, with grades five through eight clustering around the midpoint of proficiency or slightly above, while earlier elementary grades run lower. Science proficiency, measured in grades five and eight, sits notably below the proficiency threshold. Across both math and ELA, the school sits below the midpoint among Los Angeles County districts on overall proficiency. A parent may want to look into how the school is addressing the consistent math gaps and the stark science results with the classroom teacher, since the patterns are plain and recent.

The school's peer context reflects Long Beach's urban diversity and economic mix. Housing in the school's zip code sits at a substantial price point relative to household income, and while neighborhoods range from the urban core to quieter residential tracts, the area itself is densely settled and car-dependent for many needs alongside some transit access via Long Beach's bus and light-rail network. The family composition shows a high share of students living in economic need, which often correlates with limited access to tutoring, test prep, or summer enrichment outside school.

Long Beach Unified itself is navigating enrollment decline from a historic peak and has begun consolidating attendance boundaries; Hudson Elementary's closure at the end of the current school year signals that neighborhood school assignments may shift in coming years. The district is also implementing the state's ethnic studies graduation requirement through new high school courses and dual-enrollment options with Cal State Long Beach. A bond measure approved in 2022 is funding campus repairs and modernization through property tax revenue, a long-term funding mechanism that raises property costs for local homeowners.

For families considering Muir, the school offers a comprehensive K-8 pathway in a diverse, established neighborhood within a large urban district. The academic results, particularly in math and science, are a substantive reality to reckon with, and worth discussing directly with school staff to understand their specific approaches and supports. The strength of upper elementary and middle school ELA proficiency is worth noting as a relative bright spot. The school's location, student composition, and district context are matters of family fit and preference rather than quality judgment, but they are permanent features of the place.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 45% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 41% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 35% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 37% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 35% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 48% · ▼ 7 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 55% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 54% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 29% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 887%

School 87% · District 52% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above 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 3Lower-income35%Higher-income53%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income34%Higher-income58%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income69%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income62%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income65%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income58%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income61%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income56%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income44%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income41%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income54%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income37%8 pp gap