Browning Elementary

The Browning Elementary school district in Montana consists of 7 schools, including 6 elementary schools and 1 middle school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Despite the district's overall low academic performance, two small, rural schools - Glendale School and Babb School - stand out as academic standouts, significantly outperforming the district and state averages on standardized tests.

The Browning Elementary district as a whole struggles academically, with proficiency rates well below the state averages in both math and reading. However, Glendale School and Babb School, with 12 and 22 students respectively, have impressive test scores, with Glendale School achieving 70% proficiency in reading and 20% in math, and Babb School reaching 33.33% in math and 25% in reading. These small, rural schools have the highest ratings in the district, with Glendale School earning a 3-star rating and Babb School a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The wide variation in spending per student and student-teacher ratios across the district highlights the challenges of providing equitable education in rural areas. The higher spending and lower ratios at the smallest schools may be necessary to overcome the disadvantages of their remote locations. Despite the district's overall low performance, the standout results of Glendale School and Babb School suggest that targeted, personalized approaches may be a path forward for improving student outcomes in this high-poverty, rural area.