Williams Intermediate School

Williams Intermediate School in Pell City, AL, serves 598 students in grades 4-7 as part of the Pell City district, which holds a 4-star rating. The school's biggest success story is a dramatic improvement in attendance: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 22% two years ago to 11% today—a 50% reduction that now puts the school below both the district and state averages. This suggests that whatever attendance strategies the school has implemented are working, and improved attendance often leads to better learning outcomes over time.

In English Language Arts, Williams shows genuine strength, particularly in 5th grade, where students have scored at or above state averages for three of the past four years—most recently hitting 71% proficiency compared to the state's 67%. This is especially notable given that about 62% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a measure of economic disadvantage. For comparison, Springville Middle School, which serves a much more affluent population (only 28% free/reduced lunch), scores nearly identically in 5th grade ELA—suggesting Williams' literacy instruction is particularly effective relative to its student demographics.

Mathematics is the area of greatest concern. Fifth grade math proficiency fell sharply from 35% to 24% in the most recent year, now sitting nearly 15 points below the state average. This challenge continues as students move to Duran Junior High School, where 7th grade math proficiency drops to just 20%. However, Charles R Drew Middle School in Talladega County—which serves a similar student population (58% free/reduced lunch)—achieves significantly higher math scores (44% in 6th grade) and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (6.8%). This comparison suggests Williams has room to grow in math by learning from peer schools facing similar circumstances, while continuing to build on its clear strengths in reading and attendance.