Middle Schools in Derby

The Derby school district in Kansas is home to two middle schools: Derby Middle School and Derby North Middle School. Based on the available data, Derby North Middle School appears to be the standout performer, consistently ranking in the top 150 middle schools in Kansas over the past three years, while Derby Middle School has ranked in the 200s.

Derby North Middle School outperforms Derby Middle School in the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across all grade levels. Additionally, Derby North Middle School has a slightly lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which can be an indicator of higher socioeconomic status. Both schools, however, lag behind the overall Derby and Kansas state averages in many subject areas, particularly in Mathematics.

While both schools have a relatively low dropout rate of 1.3%, they both struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates of 19.5%, which is an area of concern. The two schools also have similar spending per student and student-teacher ratios, suggesting that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the performance differences between them. The Derby school district should closely examine the practices and strategies employed at Derby North Middle School and identify ways to replicate their success at Derby Middle School, while also addressing the areas of weakness, such as low Math proficiency and high chronic absenteeism, at both schools.