James B. Davidson Middle, San Rafael CA

Original Research by School Decision on James B. Davidson Middle

James B. Davidson Middle sits on Woodland Avenue in San Rafael, serving sixth through eighth graders in the San Rafael City Elementary district. It is a mid-sized middle school by California standards, drawing students from what the enrollment data shows is a predominantly Hispanic community, with a large share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. White students make up a meaningful secondary group, and smaller numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students attend as well. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs were not available in the records we reviewed.

On the 2024-25 California state assessments, Davidson's English language arts results sit roughly in the mid-range across all three grade levels, with the seventh grade coming in highest among them. Math proficiency is lower across the board, and the eighth-grade science result is similarly modest. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint relative to districts in Marin County, which includes a mix of smaller and larger systems. That positioning is worth understanding in context: Davidson enrolls a student population with substantially higher economic need than many of its Marin County neighbors, and the county as a whole skews toward high attainment and high income. Trend data was not available for comparison across years, so whether scores are improving, stable, or declining cannot be determined from what was provided. A parent who wants a fuller picture of how individual subgroups perform, or how the school is responding to its academic results, would do well to ask the school directly.

Social studies assessment data in the records comes from more than a decade ago and reflects a discontinued state test, so it does not speak to current performance. Program details were not included in the data we received, so the breadth of electives, support services, or enrichment offerings at Davidson is not something we can characterize here.

The surrounding housing market in this part of San Rafael is among the most expensive in the country. Typical home values in the relevant zip code are far above the California state median and multiples above the national figure. Rents, while lower than ownership costs, consume a very high share of a median household income, and the gap between renting and owning is steep. This is the context Davidson families live in, and it shapes who can realistically stay in the district long-term.

Two district-level decisions are worth knowing about. San Rafael voters approved a parcel tax in 2021 that runs for eight years, directing funds to academic programs, class sizes, and teacher retention at elementary and middle schools including Davidson. That tax raises property costs for most homeowners, though a senior exemption is available. Separately, a voter-approved bond program is funding facility modernization across the district's campuses, and publicly reported information indicates that summer 2026 will bring the largest simultaneous construction footprint in the program's history, with the majority of campuses undergoing work at once. Families should expect some disruption, though the goal is lasting physical improvements.

The locale brief for San Rafael returned no usable research, so a grounded description of the city's character, walkability, or civic life is not something we can offer here rather than guess.

Davidson is a school where the student population reflects significant economic diversity against a backdrop of one of the highest-cost housing markets in the country. Its academic results are below the county midpoint, and math in particular is an area where a parent may want to ask the school about specific supports and pathways. The facilities investment underway is real and may change the physical environment meaningfully over the next few years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 32% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 32%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 39% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 41% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 42% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 26% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 66% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolSan Rafael City 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-income31%Higher-income83%52 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income85%55 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income33%Higher-income81%47 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income73%61 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income78%60 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income67%48 pp gap