Summary:
The 85207 zip code area in Arizona has only one middle school, Smith Junior High School, which serves grades 7-8 and is part of the Mesa Unified District. The school has seen a decline in its performance ranking over the past three years, dropping from 448 out of 550 Arizona middle schools in 2023-2024 to 421 out of 552 in the 2024-2025 school year, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Academically, Smith Junior High School lags behind the district and state averages in proficiency rates across core subjects like English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For instance, in 8th grade Science, the school's proficiency rate was 20%, compared to the district's 26% and the state's 30%. Similarly, in 7th grade Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was 15%, while the district and state averages were 24% and 27%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a concerning dropout rate of 5.2%, which is higher than the typical middle school dropout rate.
While the data does not provide information on the school's socioeconomic status, the lower spending per student at Smith Junior High School compared to the district and state averages may indicate that the school serves a more economically disadvantaged population. This could be a contributing factor to the school's academic performance challenges, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students in the 85207 zip code area.
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