Summary:
The 38603 zip code area in Mississippi is home to two schools - Ashland Elementary School and Ashland Middle-High School, both of which serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and are part of the Benton County School District. However, the data indicates that these schools are consistently underperforming compared to state and district averages on various academic measures, including test scores, school rankings, and graduation rates.
Both Ashland Elementary School and Ashland Middle-High School are ranked below average, with 1-star ratings for the 2024-2025 school year. Their test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics, fall significantly behind the state and district averages. For example, Ashland Elementary School's 3rd-grade proficiency rates in ELA and Math were 30% and 55%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 49.4% and 53.3%. Similarly, Ashland Middle-High School's 7th-grade proficiency rates in ELA and Math were 23.4% and 23.3%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 37.3% and 55.5%. Additionally, Ashland Middle-High School's four-year graduation rate of 89.4% is slightly below the state average.
One potential contributing factor to the schools' low performance is the high-poverty student population, as indicated by the 100% free/reduced lunch rate at both schools. While the relatively low student-teacher ratios at Ashland Elementary School (12.2) and Ashland Middle-High School (11.6) could be an advantage, this does not seem to be translating into improved academic outcomes. The data suggests a need for more effective interventions and strategies to address the underlying challenges and drive academic progress in these schools.
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