Malvern School District

The Malvern School District in Arkansas serves 1,876 students across four schools: Malvern Elementary School (PK-4), Wilson Intermediate School (grades 5-6), Malvern Middle School (grades 7-8), and Malvern High School (grades 9-12), with the district ranking 167th out of 251 in the state.

Malvern Elementary School stands out as the district's strongest academic performer, posting the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (36.3%), Reading (37.1%), Mathematics (39.8%), and Science (42.1%). It has also shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 15th percentile to the 42nd percentile over three years. In contrast, Malvern Middle School has the most volatile performance, with a dramatic drop in its state ranking from the 35th percentile to the 20th percentile, and critically low 8th-grade Mathematics proficiency at just 14.3%. Malvern High School is a consistent performer with a strong 92.2% graduation rate, above the state average, and notably high 9th-grade proficiency in Biology (79.3%) and Geometry (67.9%).

A key finding is the "3rd Grade Peak" at Malvern Elementary, where 3rd graders significantly outperform state averages in Math (55.2% vs. 45.5%), but proficiency drops sharply by 4th grade, suggesting a curriculum transition issue. Additionally, there is an inverse relationship between spending and performance: Malvern Middle School spends the most per student ($15,859) yet has the lowest academic results, while Malvern High School spends the least ($13,677) but maintains consistent performance and a high graduation rate. The two middle schools also show a stark contrast in resource allocation, with Malvern Middle School having a low student-teacher ratio (9.3:1) but worse outcomes than Wilson Intermediate School, which has a higher ratio (17:1).