Summary:
Middle schools in DeKalb County, Alabama, are represented here by a single school, Crossville Middle School, which serves grades 4 through 8 with 770 students in a largely rural, economically challenged area of the state.
Crossville Middle School faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates in math, English, and science falling far below both the DeKalb County district and Alabama state averages in nearly every grade and subject. The school's state ranking has slipped to the 7th percentile, earning a 0-star rating. The most striking concern is in 8th-grade math, where only 1.38% of students are proficient—a staggering drop from 19.76% in 4th grade, representing a 93% relative decline as students progress through the grades. English scores are relatively stronger, ranging from about 21% to 33% proficiency, but still trail the state by 27 to 39 percentage points. The largest single-year decline occurred in 5th-grade English, which fell by 10.35 points, while 8th-grade math dropped by 6.36 points.
Despite these low scores, the school has some positive indicators. Chronic absenteeism is just 7.4%, notably better than the district's 10.6% and the state's 12.0%, suggesting attendance is not the primary barrier to learning. With 82.86% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population, which research shows correlates strongly with lower test scores. There are also pockets of improvement, including a strong 8.15-point gain in 4th-grade science and modest gains in 7th-grade math and English. However, the overall trajectory is concerning, with mixed year-over-year results and a declining state ranking. The school's performance is consistently 10–20 points below its own district, making it an outlier even within a district that itself underperforms the state. Parents should be aware that while the school has good attendance and some bright spots, significant intervention is likely needed to address the severe academic gaps, particularly in upper-grade math.
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