Summary:
Zip code 35903 is home to just one middle school, Litchfield Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 in Gadsden, Alabama, with a total enrollment of 252 students. This is a high-poverty school, with 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it is part of the Gadsden City school district, which ranks in the 35th percentile statewide.
Academically, Litchfield Middle School faces significant challenges, particularly in mathematics. Math proficiency rates are strikingly low, ranging from just 8% in 7th grade to 12% in 6th grade, compared to state averages of 24-35%. English/Language Arts performance is considerably stronger, with proficiency rates between 33% and 42%, though still below state levels. The school's 8th grade science proficiency (28%) is nearly three times its math proficiency (10%), an unusual pattern that may indicate stronger science instruction. Encouragingly, the school showed year-over-year gains in math across all grades, and 8th grade English improved dramatically by nearly 17 percentage points.
Despite its academic struggles, the school has a notable strength: a chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.8%, which is significantly better than both the district (13.9%) and state (12.0%) averages. This is counterintuitive for a high-poverty school and suggests strong family engagement. With a manageable student-teacher ratio of 16.2:1 and per-student spending of $14,976, the school has a solid foundation. The path forward likely involves targeted math interventions, while leveraging the successful strategies behind its English and science improvements, and building on its strong attendance culture to boost overall academic engagement.
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