Summary:
The Union Grove Independent School District (Isd) is home to a single middle school, Union Grove J H, located in Gladewater, Texas, serving grades 7 and 8 with a total enrollment of 112 students. This small school offers a notably low student-teacher ratio of 10.8:1, which suggests students receive more individualized attention, and it has maintained a zero percent dropout rate. While the district itself is highly ranked in the top 20% of Texas, the middle school's performance has shown significant volatility, with its state ranking slipping from the 81st percentile to the 68th percentile in recent years.
The school demonstrates standout strengths and weaknesses that vary dramatically by grade and subject. In the 2025-2026 school year, 8th graders excelled in Mathematics, with 71.6% achieving proficiency compared to the state average of 47.24%, and in the prior year, 68.42% of 8th graders were proficient in Science, far exceeding the state average. However, a critical anomaly exists in 7th Grade Mathematics, where only 9.52% of students were proficient in 2025-2026, a steep drop from 46.43% the previous year and well below the state average of 29.41%. Social Studies is also a persistent weakness, with scores falling to 21.15% in 2025-2026, below the state average of 31.69%.
The most interesting takeaway is the inverse relationship between 7th and 8th grade math performance, suggesting that while incoming 7th graders may arrive with significant skill gaps, the school is highly effective at teaching math during the 8th grade year. The small cohort size of roughly 20-30 students per grade means that dramatic swings in test scores are amplified, and targeted interventions for a handful of struggling students could have a disproportionately large positive impact. This volatility, combined with the school's low student-teacher ratio, indicates that Union Grove J H has the structural advantages to address its challenges, particularly the 7th grade math crisis, which warrants immediate investigation.
Thank you for your feedback!