Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Summary:

Nellie N. Coffman Middle is a public middle school located in Cathedral City, California, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 953. The school faces significant challenges, with consistently low statewide rankings, poor academic outcomes, high chronic absenteeism, and a high-poverty student population.

Nellie N. Coffman Middle has ranked in the bottom half of California middle schools for the past 10 years, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period. The school struggles across various student subgroups, with particularly poor performance for its White and Special Education populations. Chronic absenteeism has also risen sharply, from 16.3% in 2017-2018 to 35.8% in 2022-2023, well above the state average. Academically, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly below state and district averages.

Interestingly, the other middle schools in the Palm Springs Unified District perform similarly to Nellie N. Coffman Middle, with low statewide rankings, high chronic absenteeism, and poor academic outcomes. In contrast, middle schools in the neighboring Desert Sands Unified District, such as John Glenn Middle School of International Studies and Palm Desert Charter Middle, significantly outperform Nellie N. Coffman Middle and the other Palm Springs Unified schools, suggesting the need for comprehensive interventions and support to improve student outcomes at Nellie N. Coffman Middle.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 34-603 Plumley Rd.
       Cathedral City, CA  92234-6326


(760) 770-8617

District: Palm Springs Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2182nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,996 Help


Students who attend Nellie N. Coffman Middle usually attend:

High:    Cathedral City High

Feeder schools for Nellie N. Coffman Middle:

Elementary:    Cathedral City Elementary
    Rancho Mirage Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  20.6 Help
Number of students:  928

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
93.0%
White:
3.1%
African American:
1.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  97.1% Help


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 Compare Nellie N. Coffman Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Nellie N. Coffman Middle ranks worse than 78.6% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.68. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (93%), White (3.1%), African American (1.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 97.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nellie N. Coffman Middle is 20.6, which is the 2nd best among 5 middle schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Nellie N. Coffman Middle employs 45 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nellie N. Coffman Middle is $12,996. 2 middle schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nellie N. Coffman Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Nellie N. Coffman Middle 2182nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Nellie N. Coffman Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Palm Springs Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Springs Unified 1055th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Nellie N. Coffman Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 15.65 1555th 1769 12.1%
2005 16.51 1539th 1777 13.4%
2006 25.33 1361st 1804 24.6%
2007 27.99 1448th 1999 27.6%
2008 33.04 1346th 2005 32.9%
2009 41.20 1178th 2063 42.9%
2010 37.32 1382nd 2179 36.6%
2011 30.40 1631st 2236 27.1%
2012 27.56 1719th 2259 23.9%
2013 31.87 1644th 2379 30.9%
2015 22.70 1912th 2477 22.8%
2016 24.33 1857th 2497 25.6%
2017 26.99 1763rd 2508 29.7%
2018 21.28 1955th 2480 21.2%
2019 23.90 2025th 2715 25.4%
2022 23.80 2041st 2740 25.5%
2023 25.28 2037th 2802 27.3%
2024 21.68 2182nd 2777 21.4%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.15 1040th 1364 23.8%
2019 33.11 959th 1442 33.5%
2022 44.31 617th 1540 59.9%
2023 33.89 1037th 1529 32.2%
2024 30.48 1202nd 1477 18.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.82 1360th 1538 11.6%
2024 24.71 1289th 1550 16.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.29 1612th 2230 27.7%
2019 34.66 1505th 2369 36.5%
2022 33.91 1543rd 2458 37.2%
2023 33.98 1603rd 2549 37.1%
2024 28.53 1842nd 2575 28.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 49.13 146th 336 56.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.80 1780th 2262 21.3%
2019 24.15 1814th 2380 23.8%
2022 23.66 1896th 2509 24.4%
2023 22.80 1979th 2547 22.3%
2024 20.83 2053rd 2546 19.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.64 1193rd 1369 12.9%
2019 22.85 1303rd 1491 12.6%
2022 32.48 971st 1531 36.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.27 1859th 2273 18.2%
2019 22.89 1873rd 2407 22.2%
2022 24.36 1873rd 2527 25.9%
2023 27.80 1750th 2558 31.6%
2024 22.54 1978th 2547 22.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.79 1565th 2072 24.5%
2019 30.68 1522nd 2213 31.2%
2022 30.93 1592nd 2359 32.5%
2023 31.33 1591st 2391 33.5%
2024 27.51 1736th 2383 27.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.13 1209th 1496 19.2%
2019 20.48 1298th 1602 19.0%
2022 25.70 1174th 1555 24.5%
2023 47.98 782nd 1552 49.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Nellie N. Coffman Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Nellie N. Coffman Middle

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 642 58 63 405 21 n/a n/a 0 1189
1989 626 60 31 434 18 n/a n/a 0 1169
1990 475 54 22 503 20 n/a n/a 0 1074
1991 363 47 24 543 10 n/a n/a 0 987
1992 412 37 41 623 6 n/a n/a 0 1119
1993 490 50 58 691 7 n/a n/a 0 1296
1994 464 62 43 709 9 n/a n/a 0 1287
1995 242 43 13 589 6 n/a n/a 0 893
1996 242 43 13 589 6 n/a n/a 0 893
1997 221 52 9 600 7 n/a n/a 0 889
1998 239 50 8 626 7 n/a n/a 0 930
1999 228 39 14 643 1 n/a n/a 0 925
2000 256 45 12 694 9 n/a n/a 1 1017
2001 237 42 17 713 9 n/a n/a 0 1018
2002 223 40 25 871 7 n/a n/a 7 1173
2003 223 40 25 871 7 n/a n/a 7 1173
2004 207 45 23 910 3 n/a n/a 0 1188
2005 189 40 17 942 5 n/a n/a 0 1193
2006 163 32 10 1017 5 n/a n/a 0 1227
2007 119 38 14 1004 2 n/a n/a 0 1177
2008 122 41 18 991 3 n/a n/a 0 1175
2009 123 44 17 962 3 3 0 0 1152
2010 105 33 21 933 5 3 4 0 1104
2011 91 34 17 965 2 3 3 0 1115
2012 78 30 12 974 4 3 7 0 1108
2013 84 29 14 914 2 3 5 0 1051
2014 83 23 20 1001 2 2 7 0 1138
2015 66 26 14 967 1 0 7 0 1081
2016 68 26 16 975 1 1 8 0 1095
2017 54 23 3 946 2 1 9 0 1038
2018 54 19 5 1004 3 0 13 0 1098
2019 39 20 4 1010 5 0 16 0 1094
2020 50 17 4 974 1 0 10 0 1056
2021 54 20 7 930 2 0 16 0 1029
2022 45 11 6 875 1 1 12 0 951
2023 37 13 9 879 2 2 11 0 953
2024 29 15 8 863 0 2 11 0 928

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Nellie N. Coffman Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1189 51.7 22.9 n/a
1989 1169 56.0 20.8 n/a
1990 1074 54.9 19.5 n/a
1991 987 48.0 20.5 n/a
1992 1119 48.8 22.9 43.9
1993 1296 49.0 26.4 50.5
1994 1287 52.1 24.7 53.3
1995 893 39.0 22.9 68.9
1996 893 39.0 22.9 68.9
1997 889 37.0 24.0 76.9
1998 930 38.0 24.5 84
1999 925 41.4 22.3 82.7
2000 1017 42.0 24.2 85.4
2001 1018 44.8 22.7 77.4
2002 1173 50.4 23.3 86.3
2003 1173 50.4 23.3 86.3
2004 1188 49.5 24.0 72.1
2005 1193 49.4 24.1 80.6
2006 1227 52.5 23.4 76.1
2007 1177 53.3 22.1 76.2
2008 1175 57.5 20.4 78.3
2009 1152 48.2 21.3 81.4
2010 1104 45.0 24.5 86.8
2011 1115 n/a n/a 89.6
2012 1108 42.5 26.0 89.8
2013 1051 41.5 25.3 86.5
2014 1138 42.0 27.0 90.1
2015 1081 44.0 24.5 94.9
2016 1095 45.0 24.3 91.4
2017 1038 45.2 22.9 90.9
2018 1098 46.2 23.7 93.6
2019 1094 45.7 23.9 94.2
2020 1056 n/a n/a 95.9
2021 1029 42.3 24.3 99.7
2022 951 45.1 21.0 98.6
2023 953 44.0 21.6 98.4
2024 928 45.0 20.6 97.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Nellie N. Coffman Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1189 51.7 22.9 n/a
1989 1169 56.0 20.8 n/a
1990 1074 54.9 19.5 n/a
1991 987 48.0 20.5 n/a
1992 1119 48.8 22.9 43.9
1993 1296 49.0 26.4 50.5
1994 1287 52.1 24.7 53.3
1995 893 39.0 22.9 68.9
1996 893 39.0 22.9 68.9
1997 889 37.0 24.0 76.9
1998 930 38.0 24.5 84
1999 925 41.4 22.3 82.7
2000 1017 42.0 24.2 85.4
2001 1018 44.8 22.7 77.4
2002 1173 50.4 23.3 86.3
2003 1173 50.4 23.3 86.3
2004 1188 49.5 24.0 72.1
2005 1193 49.4 24.1 80.6
2006 1227 52.5 23.4 76.1
2007 1177 53.3 22.1 76.2
2008 1175 57.5 20.4 78.3
2009 1152 48.2 21.3 81.4
2010 1104 45.0 24.5 86.8
2011 1115 n/a n/a 89.6
2012 1108 42.5 26.0 89.8
2013 1051 41.5 25.3 86.5
2014 1138 42.0 27.0 90.1
2015 1081 44.0 24.5 94.9
2016 1095 45.0 24.3 91.4
2017 1038 45.2 22.9 90.9
2018 1098 46.2 23.7 93.6
2019 1094 45.7 23.9 94.2
2020 1056 n/a n/a 95.9
2021 1029 42.3 24.3 99.7
2022 951 45.1 21.0 98.6
2023 953 44.0 21.6 98.4
2024 928 45.0 20.6 97.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Nellie N. Coffman Middle

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $12,996

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Nellie N. Coffman Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 2025th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2037th of 2802 Middle schools
 1.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)35.330
 5.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)40.230.9
 9.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)28.719
 9.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)27.220
 7.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)35.225.9
 9.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)40.934.3
 6.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)2416.5
 7.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)25.921
 4.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)27.935.5
 7.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)36.432.3
 4.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)1215.1
 3.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)19.115.1
 4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Nellie N. Coffman Middle)13.913.2
 0.8%
   8th Grade Science (Palm Springs Unified)19.416.5
 2.9%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1094953
 12.9%
African American2013
 35%
American Indian52
 60%
Asian49
 125%
Hispanic1010879
 13%
Pacific Islander02
White3937
 5.1%
Two or More Races1611
 31.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients94.2%98.4%
 4.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Nellie N. Coffman Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 928 students attended Nellie N. Coffman Middle.

Nellie N. Coffman Middle ranks in the bottom 21.4% of California middle schools.

Students at Nellie N. Coffman Middle are 93% Hispanic, 3% White, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Students who attend Nellie N. Coffman Middle usually go on to attend Cathedral City High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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