C. E. Utt Middle, Tustin CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on C. E. Utt Middle

C. E. Utt Middle serves students in grades six through eight in Tustin, a mixed-use Orange County city anchored by an historic core in Old Town and shaped increasingly by the Tustin Legacy master-planned development on the former Marine Corps Air Station. The school enrolls a population of approximately mid-range size for the grade band, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students; enrollment data did not include counts for special education or English learner populations.

On state assessments administered in 2024-25, C. E. Utt's proficiency rates show a pattern of uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school's results are somewhat higher, with sixth graders meeting proficiency at a rate in the low-to-mid range and eighth graders reaching a similar plateau. Math proficiency is markedly lower across all three grades, ranging from the low twenties in sixth and seventh grade to the mid-thirties in eighth. Science proficiency, assessed only in eighth grade, sits at a comparable low level. When proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is averaged, the school falls in the bottom quartile relative to the county's middle schools. Parents should recognize that C. E. Utt's students are showing particular difficulty with mathematics, and a parent considering this school may want to understand what targeted instructional support or intervention the school offers in that subject.

The school sits within Tustin Unified, which is undertaking two district-wide shifts that will touch every school. First, voters approved a property-tax-funded bond in November 2024 to repair and upgrade aging classrooms, science labs, roofs, plumbing, electrical systems, and safety infrastructure across the district; many campuses are decades old, and this initiative will reshape the physical learning environment over time. Second, the district launched a multi-year mathematics instruction overhaul in 2024, a period of teacher study and professional learning before new materials selection, signaling a deliberate shift in how math is taught across Tustin Unified. For a school like C. E. Utt, where math proficiency is currently low, this district-level attention to instructional practice may offer meaningful support, though results will take time to materialize.

Tustin itself is a city of mixed neighborhoods. Old Town Tustin, the historic core, is walkable and eclectic, with Main Street shops, restaurants, and community events. Tustin Legacy, the larger development pattern, is designed around new residential construction, master-planned neighborhoods, and retail centers, with explicit walkability features built into the design. Housing values in the 92780 zip code are substantial; mortgage affordability is tight relative to national and state benchmarks. Rents have risen modestly year-over-year. The city's economy is described as diversified, anchored by retail and commercial centers, with education-sector and technology presence. A Metrolink station opened recently and serves daily commuter rail to county and inland empire destinations.

For families considering C. E. Utt, the key facts are a large free-and-reduced-lunch population, proficiency results that are below county midpoint especially in mathematics, and enrollment in a district that is consciously addressing instructional practice in math and investing in school facilities. The school is a regular public middle school with no specialized programs noted in available data, serving the neighborhoods of Tustin directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 54% · ▼ 30 pts below district

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

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 50% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 53% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 62% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 61% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 63% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 48% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 65% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

This schoolTustin 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-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income55%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income53%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income63%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income29%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income53%23 pp gap