Summary:
Zip code 72223 in Little Rock, Arkansas, is home to two high-performing middle schools serving grades 6-8: Pinnacle View Middle School and Joe T. Robinson Middle School, both of which significantly outperform their respective districts and the state average in core academic subjects.
While both schools are standout performers, they excel in different areas. Joe T. Robinson Middle School holds the top state ranking in the zip code (87th percentile) and boasts a lower student-teacher ratio (12.4) and a slightly lower free/reduced lunch rate (46.95%). It also shows strong math retention, with 8th-grade math proficiency (54.7%) nearly matching its 6th-grade score. In contrast, Pinnacle View Middle School is a standout for academic acceleration, particularly in Algebra, where its 8th-grade proficiency rate of 90% is exceptionally high. However, Pinnacle View spends $3,412 more per student ($17,867) than Joe T. Robinson ($14,455), yet has a lower overall state ranking and lower proficiency in ELA and math, highlighting a spending-versus-performance paradox. Both schools dramatically outperform their districts—Little Rock School District and Pulaski County Special School District—by 15-16 percentage points in ELA, confirming they are premier options in the area.
A key takeaway is the Algebra advantage at both schools. Joe T. Robinson offers Algebra to 7th graders, who achieved a perfect 100% proficiency rate, while Pinnacle View has a higher overall Algebra proficiency (91%). Additionally, Pinnacle View shows a concerning decline in math proficiency as students age, dropping from 56.8% in 6th grade to 32.7% in 8th grade, though this may be partially due to high-performing students taking Algebra. Overall, families in zip code 72223 have two excellent middle school choices, each with distinct strengths in academic acceleration and consistent performance.
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