Quail Valley Middle, Phelan CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Quail Valley Middle

Quail Valley Middle is a regular public middle school in Phelan serving grades six through eight, part of the Snowline Joint Unified School District. The enrollment is modest, with roughly equal grade cohorts across the three grades. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic with a meaningful Black population; White and Asian students make up smaller shares.

Academic proficiency at Quail Valley is low across all tested areas. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from roughly a quarter of sixth graders to about a third of seventh graders, dropping to under one in five in eighth grade. In math, proficiency is considerably lower: fewer than one in ten students in grades six and eight score proficient, with seventh grade slightly higher. When eighth-grade science proficiency is measured, it sits just above one in ten. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the districts in San Bernardino County. The single historical data point available, from social studies testing in the early 2010s, showed roughly half of eighth graders proficient, suggesting a meaningful performance decline over the past decade, though direct trend comparison is limited by the gap between assessments.

This pattern of low proficiency is not explained in the available data by particular documented challenges in staffing, attendance, or discipline, as those metrics were not reported. A parent may want to look into further with the school what learning supports, intervention structures, or resource constraints may be contributing to the performance levels.

Phelan itself is an unincorporated rural-suburban High Desert community with a distinctly equestrian character. Homes sit on large lots, many zoned for livestock, and the built environment is spread out and car-dependent. Residents value the peaceful, independent small-town feel and friendliness of the place. Housing prices have remained relatively stable, and the majority of residents own their homes. The community is under development pressure from the broader Victor Valley region, with new single-family construction continuing on large parcels. A new civic park and community center are planned. Employers include construction, manufacturing, and educational services; many residents commute to regional anchors like General Atomics and Victorville hospitals.

At the district level, parents should know that voters approved a school facilities bond in late 2024 funding repairs and modernization over a decade, with a resulting property-tax increase that will be ongoing while bonds are outstanding. The district has adopted a districtwide cell phone policy requiring phones off and put away all day, subject to confiscation if used. All students now receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of family income through the Community Eligibility Provision. Middle schools including Quail Valley transitioned to a six-period day to expand course access. The district also adopted a new K-12 social studies curriculum last year.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 18% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 20% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 14% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 31% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 37% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 27% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 20% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 851%

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

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

This schoolSnowline Joint 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-income23%Higher-income33%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income42%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income33%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income7%Higher-income10%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income12%Higher-income21%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income6%Higher-income10%4 pp gap