Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Named Top CA District

MALIBU, CA — The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District was named a top school district in the state of California, district officials announced Thursday.

SMMUSD ranked seventh in Los Angeles County and 19th in California out of 440 districts in the 2021 Best School Districts in California by national academic ranking service, Niche.

The ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of student and parent reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Niche ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings and more.

Check out the Niche 2021 report.

“We are honored to be recognized for the extraordinary achievements of our students and teachers,” Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati said in a news release. “We are dedicated to providing the education and support all students need for success as they embark on college and career, in order to lead meaningful, engaged lives beyond our halls.”

Niche also awarded Santa Monica High School an A+ and Malibu High School an A for their educational outcomes, a category that includes academic data such as SAT and ACT scores with special consideration given to schools whose students matriculate to high-ranked colleges and universities. The schools also received an A in academics, which includes proficiency in math and reading, and graduation and college enrollment rates. The ranking formula also includes facilities, safety, clubs, sports and other factors.

Both SMMUSD comprehensive high schools boast proficiency rates that are well above county and state averages, along with graduation rates in the 90-percentile range.

Samohi and Malibu High School offer comprehensive college and career counseling, maintain acclaimed visual and performing arts programs, boast high student participation in clubs and extracurricular activities, and support diverse academic curriculum such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM); Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); Career Technical Education (CTE) and Advanced Placement (AP).

John Adams Middle School, Lincoln Middle School and SMASH middle school, all received an A or A+ grade, while all SMMUSD elementary schools earned an A+, A or A-.

Niche also ranked the best places to teach in California and SMMUSD ranked 10th of 690, and ranked best teachers in the state, with SMMUSD placing 19th of 699.

“I am so proud of our entire Santa Monica-Malibu community – the students, parents, faculty and staff for this honorable recognition,” Drati said.

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