Union Middle, San Jose CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Union Middle

Union Middle serves students in grades six through eight in San Jose's Almaden area, a suburban neighborhood in the southern part of the city characterized by single-family homes and tree-lined streets. The school sits at the edge of one of the region's most expensive housing markets. Family homes in the 95124 zip code command prices well above the state average, and monthly rents are high as well. Families relocating to the area should expect significant housing costs.

The school enrolls roughly a thousand students. Its population is predominantly Asian and white, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and other groups. A small fraction of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting an overall affluent student body. Data on students receiving special education services or learning English as a second language was not available.

Academically, Union Middle shows strong performance across all tested areas. In English language arts, the proficiency rate is above four out of five students across grades six, seven, and eight. Math proficiency is similarly solid, with rates holding steady across the grade span. Science proficiency in eighth grade is somewhat lower than the ELA and math results, though still substantial. When the school's results are positioned against other middle schools in Santa Clara County, its overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of the county's schools.

The strength here is breadth and consistency. Union Middle reports results across multiple subjects and grade levels, all in the strong range. A parent can see that the school is teaching grade-level content effectively to the majority of its students. The science result, while lower than language arts and math, does not represent a weak program; rather, it shows the typical pattern where science proficiency tends to run a few percentage points below core academics in middle grades statewide.

The school is a regular public school in the Union Elementary School District, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade across multiple campuses. In November 2024 voters renewed and increased the district's parcel tax, a property-based charge that funds locally controlled programs in math, reading, writing, science, technology, and arts, as well as teacher retention. In November 2022 voters passed a major general obligation bond to fund facility repairs, upgrades, new construction, and technology across the district. Both measures passed by a wide margin, suggesting community confidence in the district's direction. For a family buying in the area, both the parcel tax and the bond repayment will add to annual property costs.

Chronic absenteeism rates and specific staffing or discipline data were not available in this record. A parent interested in learning more about day-to-day school operations, teacher experience, or behavioral support systems may want to contact the school directly or visit it in person.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 683%

School 83% · District 75% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 784%

School 84% · District 76% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 883%

School 83% · District 72% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 55 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 683%

School 83% · District 74% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 784%

School 84% · District 77% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 883%

School 83% · District 75% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Science

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 67% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 78%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolUnion 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-income53%Higher-income86%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income86%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income85%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income87%42 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income86%36 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income61%Higher-income85%24 pp gap