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Pleasanton Middle School

Public | 6-8 | 1232 students

 

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Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
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2011:
No new ratings
2010:
Based on 3 ratings

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12 reviews of this school


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Posted August 24, 2010

At registration I was treated badly by people working there as a low income mom. We got a loaner laptop from PMS, but it was old and we had to keep turning it in to the office to be repaired. It also could not use some of the programs that the teachers required. The teachers, when we could even get one to listen, didn't care to hear about it or to give us options. I completely agree with the April 13, 2010 reviewer. The teachers were the worst. Horrible attitudes. This was a confusing, chaotic experience.Zero organization.My kid went from happy As, to upset Ds & Fs.We're going to Hart.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 13, 2010

If your child needs any sort of help, forget it. I can count the good teachers my son had in 3 years on one hand with fingers to spare. They have a math teacher whose reputation is soo bad the high school math teachers know they will have to spend extra time with your child to teach them the things that should have been taught in PMS. Most of the teachers are just putting in their time and going through the motions. Half of them don't have a clue what's going on in their classroom. I lost count of how many times homework checked off by the teacher as completed would then show as missing on the progress report (make sure your child hangs on to their homework so they won't have to re-do it for partial credit)
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 1, 2009

PMS has extraordinary teachers, administrators and staff. The staff really cares about each student. Distinguished and blue ribbon school that really deserves the recognition!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 2, 2009

PMS is awesome!!!!! There are many clubs, the food is great, and the teachers are the best in the world. Some can be pretty strict but overall their really nice. This has just been my first year but I really love PMS
—Submitted by a student


Posted January 10, 2009

I was surprised about this school. This is my first year at PMS. My first year at middle school, actually. All of my teachers are great. They are nice, but strict. It was tougher than I anticipated, so I didn't work too hard. When my first grade update came along, I had a C. I talked to my teacher and she gave me some advice. And it worked. I'm a straight A student now. The food is awesome, the staff are awesome (especially Mr. Whitney). The clubs are awesome. And the laptop program is awesome! The laptop program is really worth it.
—Submitted by a student


Posted November 18, 2008

Overall Good school. Although I think that they need to look on both sides of the rope with the whole Biology thing. As a Christian Student, I have my own Beliefs and feel they need to be respected. The Politically correct History and Biology and what not needs to be viewed with both perspectives. Other than that it is a fine school, Awesome food, Good teachers... The lunch lines need work.
—Submitted by a student


Posted December 24, 2007

Despite the higher API scores etc. I have been disappointed with many of the teachers. Some, clearly burnt out or unmotivated, have actually turned my child off to subjects once loved. 'Higher ups' clearly on the side of the teachers and unresponsive to the concernsof the parent.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted November 2, 2007

this is da best school ever! all sorts of clubs, awesome food , i highly reccomend this school!
—Submitted by a student


Posted April 13, 2006

The teachers here are passionate about the children's learning process. There is a great deal of parent involvement in the school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 2, 2006

Great school with great teachers. Pms is awesome
—Submitted by a student


Posted January 11, 2006

PMS overall is a very good school although they allow teachers to provide a somewhat politically slanted curriculum and do little to control these type of discussions in the class. This would be fine except the teachers involve their own views and this is never acceptable. There seems to be no ability to control this and it does impact the students. Other than this the quality of the learinging environment is quite high and the availability of extracurricular activities appears to be on par with other similiar schools. As with any school parental involvement is a double edged sword there is a high level of parental involvement and this has implications both positive and negative. This is a relatively affluent community and the parents who participate tend to be towards the upper end of the stratum and the do wield influence.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 27, 2005

Pleasanton Middle school offers good educational environment for students. The level of parent involvement is quite high. I found the sports facilities very good. I found most teachers to be very competent and good at what they do. I highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.

The API reflects year-over-year schools performance based on STAR test score results from spring 2012.

This school's
API score

942

Change from
2011 to 2012

+20

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

10 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

5 / 10


API Growth scores over time

Did this school meet the API goal this year?
The state goal for API is 800. All schools that are below 800 are assigned an API improvement target each year.
  • This school met the state goal of 800.

API Growth scores by subgroup

In addition to schoolwide API scores, each student subgroup receives an API score.
Did this school meet all the API goals for student subgroups this year?
The state goal for the API is 800. All the student subgroups at a school that are below 800 are assigned an API improvement target each year.
  • This school met all student subgroup API targets for 2012

This school's
API score

942

What is the API?
The Academic Performance Index (API) is a single number assigned to each school by the California Department of Education to measure overall school performance and improvement over time on statewide testing. The API ranges from 200 and 1000, with 800 as the state goal for all schools.
Change from
2011 to 2012

+20

Change from 2011 to 2012
Comparing the API Growth to the Base shows whether or not this school’s test score performance improved between Spring 2011 and Spring 2012. The API ranges between 200 and 1000, with 800 as the statewide goal for all schools. Schools scoring below an 800 are given at least a 5 point target for the next year.
API Statewide Rank
(2011)

10 / 10

API Statewide Rank (2011)
The API Statewide Rank ranges from 1 to 10. A rank of 10, for example, means that the school’s API fell into the top 10% of all schools in the state with a comparable grade range. The 2011 rank is based on results from tests students took in Spring 2011.
API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

5 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)
The API Similar Schools Rank ranges from 1 to 10. It shows how the school compares to other schools with similar student demographic profiles. The California Department of Education uses parent education level, poverty level, student ethnicity and other data to identify similar schools.
English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 59% in 2012.

391 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
94%

2011

 
 
87%

2010

 
 
89%

2009

 
 
82%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

388 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
87%

2011

 
 
82%

2010

 
 
83%

2009

 
 
79%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Algebra I

The state average for Algebra I was 86% in 2012.

100 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
96%

2011

 
 
99%

2010

 
 
100%

2009

 
 
n/a
English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 62% in 2012.

384 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
94%

2011

 
 
88%

2010

 
 
85%

2009

 
 
89%
Math

The state average for Math was 52% in 2012.

281 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
70%

2010

 
 
72%

2009

 
 
83%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Algebra I

The state average for Algebra I was 49% in 2012.

313 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
67%

2011

 
 
65%

2010

 
 
80%

2009

 
 
75%
English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 59% in 2012.

396 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
87%

2011

 
 
85%

2010

 
 
87%

2009

 
 
84%
General Mathematics (Grades 6 & 7 Standards)

The state average for General Mathematics (Grades 6 & 7 Standards) was 32% in 2012.

33 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
9%

2011

 
 
24%

2010

 
 
33%

2009

 
 
25%
Geometry

The state average for Geometry was 87% in 2012.

65 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
98%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
n/a

2009

 
 
n/a
History - Social Science Grade 8 Cumulative

The state average for History - Social Science Grade 8 Cumulative was 52% in 2012.

413 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
82%

2011

 
 
79%

2010

 
 
88%

2009

 
 
82%
Science

The state average for Science was 66% in 2012.

396 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
91%

2011

 
 
86%

2010

 
 
92%

2009

 
 
92%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students94%
Females95%
Males94%
African Americann/a
Asian97%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino75%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)96%
Economically disadvantaged76%
Non-economically disadvantaged96%
Students with disability80%
Students with no reported disability95%
English learner44%
Fluent-English proficient and English only97%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate74%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)97%
Parent education - college graduate97%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate96%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students87%
Females85%
Males90%
African Americann/a
Asian97%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino61%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)87%
Economically disadvantaged52%
Non-economically disadvantaged91%
Students with disability77%
Students with no reported disability88%
English learner63%
Fluent-English proficient and English only88%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate67%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)73%
Parent education - college graduate89%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate93%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Algebra I

All Students96%
Females95%
Males96%
African Americann/a
Asian98%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
White (not Hispanic)94%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged96%
Students with no reported disability96%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only96%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate97%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate96%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

English Language Arts

All Students94%
Females96%
Males91%
African Americann/a
Asian96%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino84%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)95%
Economically disadvantaged76%
Non-economically disadvantaged96%
Students with disability75%
Students with no reported disability95%
English learner36%
Fluent-English proficient and English only95%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate85%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)87%
Parent education - college graduate95%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate98%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students77%
Females75%
Males79%
African Americann/a
Asian88%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino53%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)78%
Economically disadvantaged49%
Non-economically disadvantaged81%
Students with disability50%
Students with no reported disability78%
English learner45%
Fluent-English proficient and English only78%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate47%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)65%
Parent education - college graduate80%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate85%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Algebra I

All Students67%
Females65%
Males68%
African American27%
Asian75%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino57%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)67%
Economically disadvantaged33%
Non-economically disadvantaged70%
Students with disability55%
Students with no reported disability67%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only67%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented84%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate35%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)43%
Parent education - college graduate68%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate78%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

English Language Arts

All Students87%
Females88%
Males85%
African American77%
Asian88%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino70%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)91%
Economically disadvantaged53%
Non-economically disadvantaged90%
Students with disability42%
Students with no reported disability89%
English learner29%
Fluent-English proficient and English only89%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate73%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)71%
Parent education - college graduate88%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate94%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

General Mathematics (Grades 6 & 7 Standards)

All Students9%
Females7%
Males11%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino0%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)19%
Economically disadvantaged0%
Non-economically disadvantaged14%
Students with disability8%
Students with no reported disabilityn/a
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only12%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Geometry

All Students98%
Females97%
Males100%
African Americann/a
Asian98%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
White (not Hispanic)100%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged98%
Students with no reported disability98%
Fluent-English proficient and English only98%
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate98%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

History - Social Science Grade 8 Cumulative

All Students82%
Females82%
Males82%
African American85%
Asian87%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino52%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)86%
Economically disadvantaged45%
Non-economically disadvantaged86%
Students with disability28%
Students with no reported disability88%
English learner18%
Fluent-English proficient and English only85%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented97%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate50%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)65%
Parent education - college graduate87%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate92%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students91%
Females91%
Males90%
African American85%
Asian95%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino65%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)93%
Economically disadvantaged65%
Non-economically disadvantaged93%
Students with disability68%
Students with no reported disability92%
English learner43%
Fluent-English proficient and English only92%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented97%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate68%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)85%
Parent education - college graduate92%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate95%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Breaking down the GreatSchools Rating

GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »


Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
White 52% 27%
Asian 31% 11%
Hispanic 12% 51%
Two or more races 3% 3%
Black 2% 7%
American Indian/Alaska Native 1% 1%
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander 0% 1%
Source: NCES, 2010-2011

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 111%N/A54%
English language learners 25%N/A24%
Source: 1 NCES, 2010-2011
Source: 2 CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Home languages of english learners

Language This school State average
Spanish 56% 85%
Korean 12% 1%
Farsi (Persian) 8% 0%
Punjabi 6% 1%
Mandarin (Putonghua) 4% 1%
Russian 4% 0%
All other non-English languages 2% 1%
Arabic 2% 1%
Cantonese 2% 2%
Hindi 2% 0%
Italian 2% 0%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Average class size

  This school District averageState average
Average class size 28N/A25
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Average years teaching in district 10N/A11
Average years teaching 11N/A13
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Teacher credentials

  This school District averageState average
Full credential 97%N/A96%
Emergency credential or waiver 2%N/A2%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

School basics

School Leader's name
  • John Whitney
Fax number
  • (925) 426-1382

Resources

Extra learning resources offered
  • Title I Targeted Assistance program (TAS)
School leaders can update this information here.

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5001 Case Avenue
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Website: Click here
Phone: (925) 426-4390

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