Summary:
Zip code 19711 in Newark, DE is served by a single middle school, Shue-Medill Middle School, which enrolls 763 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Christina School District.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Shue-Medill is a mid-sized school with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.9:1 and substantial per-student spending of $15,950, yet academic outcomes consistently trail state averages. The school has improved from a 1-star to a 2-star state rating, moving from the 24th percentile (2023-2024) to the 32nd percentile (2025-2026), but it remains in the bottom third of Delaware middle schools. Mathematics is the weakest subject, with proficiency rates between 20.87% and 25.89% across grades—roughly 10 points below state levels. English Language Arts shows a mixed picture, with 7th grade declining from 40.17% to 33.03% proficiency year-over-year, while 8th grade improved from 26.97% to 31.05%. A notable bright spot is 8th grade Social Studies, where 35.44% proficiency significantly outperforms the district's 25.03%.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 27.4%—60% higher than the state average of 17.1% and 8.2 points above the district rate. This likely correlates with the school's below-average test performance and represents a critical barrier to achievement. The school outperforms its district in several areas (6th grade ELA and Math, 8th grade Math and Social Studies) but underperforms in others (7th grade Math and Social Studies), suggesting pockets of instructional strength rather than uniform performance. Given the high spending and favorable class sizes, resources alone are not closing the achievement gap, making the elevated absenteeism rate the clearest target for intervention. Parents should weigh these factors carefully, particularly the math challenges and attendance issues, when evaluating this school for their child.
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