Cardozo Middle School

Cardozo Middle School in Jackson, MS, serves 531 students in grades 6–8 as part of Jackson Public Schools, in a community where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 10.4:1. Despite those staffing resources, the school has ranked in the bottom 1–5% of Mississippi middle schools for at least a decade—including a 3rd-percentile ranking (253rd out of 260) and a 0-star rating in 2025–2026.

Academic proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages in nearly every subject and grade. In 2025–2026, only 11.4% of 7th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 36.7% statewide; in 7th-grade math, just 13.0% were proficient versus 57.7% statewide. There are a few bright spots: 6th-grade ELA matched the district average (25.2% vs. 25.4%), 8th-grade science slightly exceeded it, and Algebra I End-of-Course results were a standout at 58.8% proficiency—well above the district's 44.8% and not far from the state's 67.3%. The school also shows a consistent, puzzling drop in ELA from 6th to 7th grade in each of the past two years, with only partial recovery in 8th grade.

Compared to nearby Jackson schools like Powell Middle School, Blackburn Middle School, and Peeples Middle School, Cardozo is often the relative leader—but all four sit in the bottom 1–3% of Mississippi schools. Chronic absenteeism is high (31.2% in 2023–2024) but lower than several neighboring schools. Perhaps the most striking context: Northwest Middle School and Bailey APAC Middle School—both in Jackson Public Schools, both about 7 miles away, and both serving ~100% economically disadvantaged students—rank in the 88th and 87th percentiles statewide. That contrast suggests poverty is not destiny, and that school programming and leadership can make a profound difference for students.