Robert Louis Stevenson College and Career Preparatory, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Robert Louis Stevenson College and Career Preparatory

Robert Louis Stevenson College and Career Preparatory is a middle school serving sixth through eighth grades in Los Angeles, located in the 90023 zip code area of downtown and southeast LA. The school enrolls a small student body across its three grade levels, with a broad majority of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch and a student population that is overwhelmingly Hispanic. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available.

The school's academic performance is notably low across all tested subjects. In English language arts, the student body shows a roughly one-third proficiency rate across all grades combined, with slight variation by grade. Mathematics proficiency is substantially lower, at about one-sixth across the grades, with sixth grade showing the weakest results and seventh grade somewhat stronger. Science proficiency in eighth grade is similarly low. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among Los Angeles County districts on overall proficiency. A parent may want to look into what academic supports and intervention structures the school offers to understand how it is working to improve student outcomes, and what the school's longer-term trajectory has been.

The school sits in Los Angeles, a sprawling, polycentric city where neighborhoods vary sharply in character and density. Downtown has seen significant revitalization with mixed-use development and cultural anchors, while surrounding areas combine residential, commercial, and industrial zoning. The region is actively rezoning for housing production, with major development projects underway near downtown ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Public transit connects via Metro rail and bus, though walkability depends heavily on the specific neighborhood. Housing costs in the area are high relative to household income, with homeownership carrying substantial monthly obligations and rental costs consuming a notable share of income.

Los Angeles Unified, the school's district, operates the nation's second-largest school district. In a change affecting all students, LAUSD implemented a district-wide cellphone ban across the entire school day beginning in early 2025, including during lunch and breaks, with storage pouches used to enforce the policy. Additionally, voters approved a major school facilities bond to fund repairs and upgrades of aging buildings, funded through property tax increases that families relocating to the area should anticipate. The district has also expanded its Black Student Achievement Plan with additional funding for culturally responsive curriculum and support staffing at designated schools.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 35% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 34% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 32% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 46% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 46% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 45% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 27% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 43% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 13 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

English language arts

Grade 8Lower-income34%Higher-income33%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income0%17 pp gap