Samuel Gompers Middle, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Samuel Gompers Middle

Samuel Gompers Middle serves students in grades six through eight in Los Angeles, drawing from a neighborhood with deep economic constraints. The school enrolls a small student body, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share who identify as Black. Data on English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available.

State assessment results from the most recent school year show proficiency rates that sit well below typical performance benchmarks. In English language arts across all grades, about a quarter of students met the state standard. In mathematics, proficiency falls to about one in eight students, with performance weaker in eighth grade than in the earlier grades. Science proficiency is markedly low, with about one in twenty-five students meeting standards on the state science assessment. A social studies result from an older assessment showed similar constraints. These numbers place the school in the bottom quartile when compared against the tested schools in Los Angeles County. The school has only one year of current data, so trend information is not available to indicate whether performance is improving, declining, or stable.

The broader context matters here. Samuel Gompers sits in south Los Angeles in the 90061 zip code, where housing costs have risen substantially and where nearly all enrolled families qualify for free meals, signaling concentrated poverty in the catchment area. Los Angeles Unified, the nation's second-largest school district, has undertaken several changes that touch daily school life. In February, the district implemented an all-day ban on cellphones, smartwatches, and earbuds, including during lunch; most middle and high schools use lockable storage pouches to enforce it. Separately, voters approved a major school facilities bond to repair and upgrade aging buildings district-wide, a change that adds to property taxes for families in the area over many years. The district has also realigned its Black Student Achievement Plan with additional funding, though eligibility was revised in 2024 to remove race as the sole factor.

A parent considering this school should understand that the academic performance data reflects significant instructional challenges in math and science. The school's small size and the deep economic need of its families are permanent features of its environment. Beyond test scores, the cellphone policy and the facilities bond are district-wide realities that shape the experience. A parent may want to look into this further with the school directly: what specific supports are in place for math and science instruction, how the school is responding to the state assessment results, and what resources or partnerships exist to serve the student population.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 35% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 34% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 32% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 46% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 46% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 45% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Science

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 27% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 43% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

This schoolLos Angeles 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

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income18%3 pp gap