The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Middle
Washington Middle sits in Albuquerque's southwest quadrant, on Park SW near the city's downtown core. It is a regular public school serving grades six through eight, part of Albuquerque Public Schools. The surrounding zip code offers housing that runs more affordable than both state and national benchmarks, with home values and rents sitting well below what most New Mexicans or Americans encounter. For a family weighing where to live, this part of Albuquerque keeps housing costs relatively modest compared with the broader metro.
The school serves a predominantly Hispanic student body, with nearly all students identifying as Hispanic. Small numbers of American Indian, Black, White, and multiracial students round out the enrollment. Every student in the building qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic profile of the surrounding neighborhoods rather than anything about the school itself. Total enrollment sits in a moderate range for a middle school, with each grade level holding a sizable cohort.
Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest city, sprawling across a large land area with a car-oriented layout. The quadrant grid system, using Central Avenue and the railroad tracks as axes, shapes how residents navigate. Washington Middle's southwest placement puts it near the city's geographic center, close to Old Town's historic plaza and the downtown corridor along Central Avenue. The Rio Grande and its bosque run north-south through the city, and the Sandia Mountains rise to the east. Major employers include Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, the University of New Mexico, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, and state and city governments. Albuquerque Public Schools is one of the largest districts in the country. The city's population has been roughly flat to slightly declining in recent years, while development activity includes affordable housing initiatives and a growing film and media sector anchored partly by a Netflix production hub.
On state assessments from the most recent school year, Washington Middle's results show a wide gap between subjects. English language arts proficiency reached a level where roughly a quarter of tested students met or exceeded standards. Math proficiency was considerably lower, with only a small fraction of students reaching proficiency. Science results, tested at a single grade level, were also low. These are the only year of results available, so no trend can be drawn from the data. Average scale scores and participation rates were not reported. A parent evaluating academic outcomes may want to look into what supports and interventions the school has in place for math and science, and how the school is working to move students toward grade-level proficiency.
Several categories of information that would help round out the picture are absent. The data does not include Title I status, discipline figures, course access details, staffing ratios, or attendance rates. IEP and English learner counts were not reported. Civil rights data was not provided. Program offerings such as electives, athletics, or extracurriculars were not available. The district brief for Albuquerque Public Schools returned no recent parent-relevant changes, so there is nothing to report on policy shifts, curriculum updates, or facility investments from the district level.
Because Washington Middle serves only grades six through eight, it has no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit data, and no college-readiness metrics. That is a function of its grade band, not a gap in reporting.
For a family considering this school, the picture that emerges is of a middle school in an affordable part of a large, sprawling city, serving a student population that is almost entirely Hispanic and where every student qualifies for meal assistance. Academic results are strongest in English language arts and weakest in math, with science also a concern. The missing data on staffing, programs, discipline, and special populations means a family would need to go directly to the school for those details. What the available data does show is a school where the community context carries real economic challenges, and where state test results suggest students would benefit from additional academic support, particularly in math and science.
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