Summary:
In zip code 33573, there is one middle school, Shields Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Ruskin, Florida, as part of the Hillsborough County School District.
Shields Middle School serves a large student body of 1,593 students, with 60.2% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school faces significant challenges, most notably a chronic absenteeism rate of 50.5%—far exceeding the district and state averages of 31.3% and 31.4%, respectively. Academic performance in core subjects like ELA, Math, Science, and Civics consistently falls 15 to 30 percentage points below state averages. For example, 8th-grade science proficiency is just 34% compared to the state's 52%, and ELA proficiency ranges from 32% to 35% across grades, while the state averages 60-62%. The school also has a high student-teacher ratio of 26.5:1, which can contribute to larger class sizes.
Despite these struggles, there is one notable bright spot: Shields Middle School excels in Algebra 1, with 78% of students scoring proficient—well above the district (63%) and state (63%) averages. This suggests a strong program for advanced math students. However, the school's overall state ranking has declined slightly from the 13th percentile to the 11th percentile over recent years, indicating a need for broader improvement. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the school offers a standout math program, it faces systemic issues with attendance and performance in most other subjects that families should consider carefully.
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