Summary:
Middle Schools in zip code 29205, located in the Columbia, SC area, consist of a single school, Hand Middle, serving grades 6-8 within the Richland 01 school district.
Hand Middle is the only middle school in this zip code, and it stands out for its exceptional performance in advanced mathematics. The school achieved a remarkable 98.28% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course Examination, far surpassing both the district (69.75%) and state (73.95%) averages. This indicates a highly effective program for accelerated students. The school also maintains a stable state ranking, consistently landing in the 53rd to 57th percentile over the past three years. With an enrollment of 755 students, the school offers a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.3 to 1, allowing for more individualized attention. Per-student spending is a significant $18,872, reflecting a strong investment in resources.
Academically, Hand Middle shows a clear strength in English Language Arts (ELA), with proficiency rates ranging from 56.3% in 8th grade to 64.3% in 7th grade, significantly outperforming the district by 10-15 percentage points in all grades. However, math proficiency is a relative weakness, with rates between 33.5% and 40.1%, falling slightly below the state average. Chronic absenteeism stands at 23.3%, which is better than the district average of 26.7% but slightly above the state average. Encouragingly, the school shows positive year-over-year momentum, with proficiency improving in nearly every subject and grade level, including notable gains in 6th-grade ELA (56.8% to 62.4%) and 6th-grade Math (31.2% to 39.1%). This suggests recent instructional changes are having a positive effect, making Hand Middle a solid choice for families prioritizing strong ELA instruction and a robust advanced math pipeline.
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