Summary:
The Ashdown School District is home to a single middle school, Ashdown Junior High School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with 278 students in Ashdown, Arkansas. The district holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 37th percentile statewide, but the school itself has shown notable improvement over the past three years, climbing from the 33rd to the 45th percentile in state rankings.
Ashdown Junior High School stands out for its significant academic growth between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. Proficiency rates jumped across all subjects, with Reading improving by 10.7 percentage points and Science by 9.5 points. Despite this progress, the school still trails state averages in every subject, with overall proficiency rates of 33.0% in English Language Arts, 37.8% in Reading, 37.3% in Mathematics, and 42.1% in Science. The school benefits from a very low student-teacher ratio of 9.6:1 and high per-student spending of $14,999, yet these resources have not yet translated into above-average scores. A key concern is the "8th grade cliff," where 8th graders score far below both state averages and their younger peers—for example, only 18.6% of 8th graders are proficient in ELA compared to about 39.7% for 6th and 7th graders.
Science is a relative strength, with 6th and 7th graders actually exceeding state averages in that subject, suggesting effective instruction that could be replicated in other areas. The school also serves a high-poverty population, with 70.86% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. The recent year-over-year gains indicate that instructional changes or targeted interventions are having a positive impact, making Ashdown Junior High School a school to watch for continued improvement, especially if it can address the performance drop in 8th grade.
Thank you for your feedback!