Summary:
Zip code 38544 is served by a single middle school, Upperman Middle School, which enrolls 851 students in grades 5-8 in Baxter, TN, and is part of Putnam County Schools. Because this is the only middle school in the area, families in 38544 do not have intra-zip school choice, making Upperman's performance especially important to the local community.
Upperman Middle School shows a clear strength in mathematics. Overall math proficiency is 46.2%, which is above the state average of 43.0%, and 8th-grade math is particularly strong at 51.7% proficiency compared to 38.3% statewide. Advanced math students also shine, with an Algebra I proficiency rate of 91.7%, far exceeding the district (27.0%) and state (29.4%). However, other subjects lag notably. English Language Arts proficiency is just 31.2%, well below the state's 40.6%, and the problem worsens by grade: 8th-grade ELA drops to only 22.8%. Science (39.3%) and social studies (41.7%) also trail the state averages, with 8th-grade social studies particularly weak at 29.2% versus 47.6% statewide. The school's overall state ranking reflects these mixed results, placing it at 320 out of 594 schools (46th percentile) and earning a 2-star rating—below the 3-star rating of its district.
One of the biggest concerns is chronic absenteeism. At 22.1%, Upperman's rate is substantially higher than both the district (17.3%) and state (18.3%), meaning more than one in five students are chronically absent. This likely contributes to the academic struggles in most subjects. Upperman also trails its district in every tested subject, even though the district itself is rated mid-tier in Tennessee. For parents, the takeaway is mixed: Upperman offers a strong math program, especially for advanced 8th graders, but families should be aware of the challenges in ELA, science, social studies, and attendance. These are key areas to watch and address as the school works to improve its overall performance.
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