Summary:
Zip code 36312 in Alabama is home to just one middle school, Ashford Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 with an enrollment of 316 students as part of the Houston County district.
For parents considering this area, Ashford Middle School presents a mixed but generally positive picture. The school consistently outperforms the Alabama state average in nearly every subject and grade level, making it a solid choice statewide. Its strongest subject is 8th-grade Science, where proficiency rates have exceeded both district and state averages in recent years—a notable academic strength. However, the school lags behind its own district in most metrics, particularly in English, where Houston County outperforms the school by roughly 8-12 percentage points. The school's state ranking has fluctuated but remains in the top 26% of Alabama middle schools, with its best year placing it in the 82nd percentile. One area of concern is a dramatic drop in 6th-grade Math proficiency, which fell from 51.55% to 34.65% between school years—a decline of nearly 17 points that warrants attention from administrators.
Beyond academics, there are important factors to weigh. The school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.5:1 and a majority of students (62.66%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting significant socioeconomic challenges. Despite this, the school manages to beat state averages, suggesting effective instruction. However, chronic absenteeism stands at 11.2%, which is more than double the district's rate of 5.3%—a red flag that could impact learning. While the school is a dependable performer compared to the rest of Alabama, parents should note that it is not the top performer within its own high-achieving district, and the absenteeism gap relative to peer schools is worth monitoring.
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