Summary:
The Whiteford Agricultural School District is home to a single middle school, Whiteford Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 in the rural community of Ottawa Lake, Michigan, with a total enrollment of 188 students.
For parents considering this district, Whiteford Middle School is a strong performer with a 4-star rating, ranking in the 74th percentile statewide. The school's biggest academic strengths are in math and English Language Arts for grades 5 through 7, where proficiency rates consistently beat state averages by wide margins. For example, 7th grade math proficiency is 57.9% compared to the state's 33.3%, and 7th grade ELA is 52.6% versus 38.4% statewide. The school also boasts remarkably low chronic absenteeism at just 9.9%, far better than the state average of 27.9%, and serves a relatively affluent student body with only 17% qualifying for free or reduced lunch. With a favorable 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $12,314, the school provides solid conditions for learning.
However, there are clear areas of concern, particularly in 8th grade. While grades 5-7 excel, 8th grade science proficiency (32.1%) and social studies (41.1%) both fall below state averages. Additionally, despite exceptional M-Step math scores in earlier grades, 8th graders only achieve 35.1% proficiency on the PSAT math portion—barely above the state's 33.2%. This suggests a possible disconnect between the school's curriculum and college-prep style assessments. The school's small cohort size (roughly 47 students per grade) also creates year-to-year volatility, as seen in PSAT math scores swinging from 21.6% to 35.1% in just one year. While the school has maintained its 4-star rating, its state ranking has slipped slightly from 185th to 234th over two years, indicating other Michigan schools may be improving faster. Overall, Whiteford Middle School delivers strong results for grades 5-7, but parents should watch how the school addresses its 8th grade achievement gaps.
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