Summary:
In zip code 72342, Helena, Arkansas, there is one middle school, Kipp:delta College Prep School, serving grades 6 through 8 with 163 students, where 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.
Kipp:delta College Prep School is a school of contrasts, consistently outperforming its district, KIPP Delta Public Schools, in every subject but falling below state averages. The school spends $15,033 per student and has a low student-teacher ratio of 10.5:1, yet it ranks in the 29th percentile (229th out of 324) among Arkansas middle schools, a slight decline from the previous year. The 7th grade is the strongest cohort, achieving the highest proficiency rates across all subjects, including Reading (37.3% vs. state 33.7%) and Science (39% vs. state 38.4%). In contrast, the 8th grade shows a sharp decline in Reading (17.7%) and Science (11.7%), but excels in Mathematics with a rate of 41.2%, which is the school's only metric that beats the state average (31.7%). This creates a unique academic profile where the same 8th-grade students are both the school's best in math and its weakest in other core subjects.
Overall, the school's performance highlights the profound challenges of serving a 100% economically disadvantaged population, as high spending and small class sizes have not closed the achievement gap with the state. The school is a relative bright spot within its struggling district, which holds a 1-star rating and ranks 180th out of 251 districts in Arkansas. For parents, this means Kipp:delta College Prep School offers a focused, resource-rich environment with notable strengths in 7th-grade instruction and 8th-grade math, but overall academic outcomes remain below state averages, particularly in 8th-grade reading and science.
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