Derby

The Derby, Kansas school district consists of 13 schools, including 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, and 1 alternative school, serving students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. While some schools, like Stone Creek Elementary, consistently rank among the top in the state, others, like Oaklawn Elementary, struggle with lower test scores and higher rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

The data reveals stark differences in academic performance between the schools, with Stone Creek Elementary and Wineteer Elementary standing out for their strong test scores, while Oaklawn Elementary lags behind. There appears to be a correlation between the socioeconomic status of the student population, as measured by free/reduced lunch rates, and academic performance, with the schools serving more economically disadvantaged students generally performing worse on standardized tests.

The data also suggests that smaller class sizes, as seen at Oaklawn Elementary and Paul B Cooper Elementary, may not be enough to overcome the challenges faced by students from low-income backgrounds. However, the improvement seen at Derby High School suggests that with the right strategies and resources, the lower-performing schools in the district may be able to make similar gains.