Middle Schools in Cumberland

The Cumberland school district in Rhode Island is home to two middle schools: North Cumberland Middle and Joseph L. McCourt Middle School. Based on the available data, North Cumberland Middle stands out as the higher-performing school, consistently outpacing the district and state averages in academic proficiency across all subject areas and grade levels.

North Cumberland Middle is ranked 3rd out of 66 Rhode Island middle schools for the 2024-2025 school year and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, North Cumberland Middle has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (11.25%) and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.3, suggesting effective resource allocation and targeted support for students. In contrast, Joseph L. McCourt Middle School appears to be underperforming, with proficiency rates that lag behind the district and state averages across all subject areas and grade levels.

The data reveals a substantial performance gap between the two middle schools in Cumberland. While the reasons for this gap are not entirely clear, factors such as student demographics and resource allocation may play a role. Identifying and addressing the root causes of the underperformance at Joseph L. McCourt Middle School could be crucial in helping the school narrow the gap with its higher-performing counterpart and the broader district and state metrics.