Summary:
In zip code 71118, there is one middle school, Ridgewood Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Shreveport, Louisiana, an area where 85.6% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty community.
Ridgewood Middle School is a school of stark contrasts. On one hand, it faces significant challenges: its chronic absenteeism rate of 35.3% is far above the state average of 22.5%, and its overall state ranking has declined from the 14th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 10th percentile in 2025-2026. Overall proficiency in core subjects is low, with only 31% of students proficient in mathematics and 26% in social studies, both well below state averages. On the other hand, the school boasts an exceptional 99% proficiency rate in Algebra I, a stunning outlier that suggests a highly effective advanced math program. Additionally, 6th-grade English Language Arts proficiency (63%) slightly exceeds the district average (62%), though this success is not sustained in later grades. The school's dropout rate of 1.4% is notably lower than the district's 4.1%.
The most critical takeaway is that chronic absenteeism is likely the primary driver of the school's low performance, as a third of students are regularly missing class. The school's declining trajectory over three years signals an urgent need for intervention. However, the standout Algebra I results and the strong 6th-grade ELA performance provide clear areas of strength to build upon. For parents, this data shows a school grappling with poverty and attendance issues but also demonstrating pockets of excellence, particularly in advanced math, that could be leveraged for broader improvement.
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