The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Westdale Middle School
Westdale Middle School sits in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a regular public school serving grades six through eight within the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. The school enrolls a large student body for a middle school, and the student population is diverse. A majority of students are Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller White enrollment, plus small shares of Asian and multiracial students. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with substantial economic need. The school operates in Baton Rouge, a large consolidated city-parish that blends state government, Louisiana State University, industrial and petrochemical operations, and historic residential neighborhoods. The city is largely car-dependent, with walkable pockets near downtown and the LSU campus. Housing values and rents in the area around the school recently showed modest appreciation, and the broader metropolitan area has seen some growth, though the city’s population has seen a modest decline since the last census.
On the state’s LEAP 2025 assessments, Westdale Middle School’s results are a central feature of its academic profile. In English language arts, about three in ten students scored at the proficient level or above, the strongest of the four tested subjects. Math proficiency was lower, with fewer than two in ten students meeting the bar. Science and social studies both returned proficiency rates around one in five. These numbers position the school below the midpoint among the districts in East Baton Rouge Parish when measured by overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. Participation in the assessments was extremely high, so the reported results reflect near-complete student participation. A parent comparing this school to others in the parish will see a weaker set of outcomes. Only a single year of assessment data was available, so there is no basis for a trend read.
Because this is a middle school only, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s data did not include counts for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so the extent of those special population supports is not available from this record. Similarly, no discipline data, staffing ratios, course access offerings, or chronic absenteeism data were present. A parent wanting details on how the school serves students in special education or supports English language development, how it manages behavior, or what electives and advanced courses are available may want to ask the school directly.
The school is a regular public school and not a charter or magnet institution. No Title I status was provided, though the high share of students qualifying for meal assistance suggests the school likely receives federal funding through that program. The district itself did not have any recent parent-relevant policy changes, curriculum shifts, or funding referendums surfaced in publicly reported materials.
In terms of the academic pathway a student experiences, the data show a school where most students are not reaching state proficiency benchmarks, particularly in math and science. For a family weighing options, this middle school serves a large, economically diverse student body in a capital city with many competing school choices, including magnet programs and private schools that are common in Baton Rouge. The school’s location on Claycut Road places it in an area of the city with a mix of older residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors, a short drive from downtown and the LSU area. The school’s outcomes are a soft spot in the available evidence, and a parent may want to look into how the school is working to raise achievement, what interventions are in place, and how the school compares to other middle school options in the parish that serve similar populations.
See more original research from School Decision →