Summary:
Zip code 30311 in Atlanta, Georgia is home to two middle schools—Jean Childs Young Middle School and Atlanta SMART Academy—serving grades 5-8 or 6-8, with both schools drawing from predominantly low-income communities where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
When comparing the two schools, Atlanta SMART Academy stands out as the stronger academic performer despite receiving less funding per student ($17,120 vs. $28,070 at Jean Childs Young Middle School). The specialty school, part of the State Specialty Schools II- Atlanta SMART Academy district, outperforms its traditional counterpart in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, in 8th-grade math, 30.5% of Atlanta SMART Academy students are proficient compared to just 10.6% at Jean Childs Young. The school has also improved its state ranking from the 28th to 13th percentile over three years. However, Atlanta SMART Academy shows a notable weakness in 8th-grade science, where only 2.8% of students are proficient—far below Jean Childs Young's 10.7%.
Jean Childs Young Middle School, part of the Atlanta Public Schools district, faces significant challenges despite higher spending. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 45.7% is more than double Atlanta SMART Academy's 20.7% and nearly triple the state average, which likely contributes to its declining state ranking (from 8th to 5th percentile) and 0-star rating. The school also saw Algebra I proficiency drop from 34.6% to 26.2% while the district improved. Both schools remain well below state averages in most subjects, with proficiency gaps often exceeding 20-30 percentage points. For parents, the data suggests that attendance and school culture may matter more than funding levels, with Atlanta SMART Academy offering a more effective learning environment despite fewer resources.
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