Summary:
The city of Bessemer, Alabama is home to 13 schools, including 9 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The schools in this area serve a diverse student population and face a range of challenges, with significant disparities in academic performance across the district.
Among the standout schools, Oak Grove High School ranks 230th out of 378 Alabama high schools and has a 90% 4-year graduation rate, the highest in the data set. McCalla Elementary School also stands out, with the highest test scores in the data, including 63.16% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English and 71.03% of 5th graders proficient or better. In contrast, Empower Community School, a public charter elementary/middle school, has some of the lowest test scores, with only 2.78% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Math and 19.44% proficient or better in English.
The data reveals significant disparities in academic performance across the Bessemer City school district, which is ranked 131st out of 135 districts in the state and has 0 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger. Many of the lowest performing schools, such as Charles F. Hard Elementary and Westhills Elementary, have very high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a correlation between poverty and academic outcomes. However, there are also examples of schools, like McCalla Elementary, that are outperforming the state average despite serving high-need populations, offering hope for the future of the Bessemer City school district.
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