The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 40% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Stevens Middle School
Stevens Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in Port Angeles, the primary urban center of the North Olympic Peninsula and the seat of Clallam County. The city sits on a narrow strip between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with a deep-water harbor that supports shipping, commercial fishing, and a Coast Guard air station. Downtown functions as a gateway for visitors heading to Olympic National Park and for ferry passengers traveling to Victoria, British Columbia. The school itself is located in the west part of town on 14th Street, within the fabric of the city’s residential and civic grid.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for a two-grade middle school, and the student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of students identifying as two or more races, a smaller share as Hispanic, and a still smaller share as American Indian or Alaska Native. Asian and Black students each make up a very small portion of the population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves many families with limited economic resources. The locale brief notes that Port Angeles has seen modest population growth since the 2020 census, constrained by geography, and the city’s economy is anchored by federal and county government, the port, healthcare, and maritime industries. There is no specific information about recent district-level changes or initiatives; the search for the Port Angeles School District found little of lasting impact to report.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Stevens Middle School’s results give a mixed picture. In English language arts, a little over half of seventh graders and a similar share of eighth graders met the proficiency standard. In math, the proficiency rates were lower, with roughly two out of five seventh graders and a comparable proportion of eighth graders reaching the bar. On the eighth-grade science assessment, just under half of students scored proficient. Because only one year of assessment data was available, no trend can be established—there is no way to know whether these results represent an improvement, a decline, or a stable pattern.
When compared with other school districts in Clallam County—the set used for this comparison—Stevens Middle School’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint of the five districts. That means that while the school is not at the bottom of the county, it also is not among the higher-performing peers. A parent considering the school may want to look further into how math instruction is structured and what supports are available for students who are not yet proficient.
No data was available on student discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, or chronic absenteeism. Because Stevens serves only two grades and is a regular public school, these gaps may simply reflect limitations in what was reported for this profile rather than an actual lack of information. The school’s website was not provided in the data, so a parent would need to contact the school directly to learn about elective offerings, extracurricular activities, or any specialized programs.
Stevens Middle School is a straightforward, neighborhood-based public school in a small city that serves as the commercial and civic heart of its region. The student body reflects the local population, with a substantial economic need profile. Academically, the school shows stronger performance in English language arts than in math and science, and its county comparison suggests room for growth relative to other districts. For a family living in or moving to Port Angeles, this is the public middle school option for the area. The school’s fit depends on a family’s priorities: it provides a standard middle school experience in a community with a strong connection to the outdoors and the waterfront, but the academic numbers indicate that a parent may want to ask about targeted support, particularly in math, and about what the school offers beyond core classes.
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