Summary:
The McComb School District in Mississippi is home to two middle schools: Higgins Middle School and Denman Junior High School. Both schools serve students in grades 6-8 and face significant academic challenges, performing well below the state average on key metrics.
The data analysis reveals that both Higgins Middle School and Denman Junior High School have chronic absenteeism rates of 23.9%, which is significantly higher than the state average. In terms of academic performance, the schools struggle across the board, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that are well below the state averages at all grade levels. For example, Higgins Middle School's 5th grade English Language Arts proficiency rate is just 29.9%, compared to the state average of 55.9%, while Denman Junior High School's 8th grade Mathematics proficiency rate is only 9.9%, compared to the state average of 47.5%.
The economic challenges faced by the schools are also evident, with both Higgins Middle School and Denman Junior High School having a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Despite these challenges, the schools have relatively low student-teacher ratios, with Higgins Middle School at 13.1 and Denman Junior High School at 10.4. However, these factors have not translated into improved academic outcomes, as both schools are ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi middle schools by SchoolDigger, with Higgins Middle School ranked 224th out of 266 schools and Denman Junior High School ranked 163rd out of 264 schools in the 2023-2024 school year.
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