Summary:
There are two middle schools, Polk Middle and Perry Middle, serving grades 6-8 in the 75006 zip code of Carrollton, Texas, both part of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (ISD).
Despite being located in the same area and sharing nearly identical levels of economic disadvantage (over 72% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch at both schools), these two schools show a stark performance gap. Perry Middle is the clear standout, ranking in the 46th percentile statewide (2 stars) compared to Polk Middle's 10th percentile (0 stars). Perry Middle outperforms Polk Middle in nearly every core subject, particularly in Reading, where its average proficiency (52.5%) is significantly higher than Polk's (32.9%). Perry Middle also boasts a lower dropout rate (1.0% vs. 2.0%) and slightly higher spending per student ($10,751 vs. $10,252).
A fascinating finding is that both schools excel in advanced coursework, even when their general education results are weak. Perry Middle achieved a perfect 100% proficiency on the Biology EOC and 95.76% on Algebra I, while Polk Middle students taking Algebra I scored an impressive 88.89% proficient—far above the district (45.93%) and state (54.03%) averages. However, mathematics remains a major challenge for both schools, especially in 7th grade, where Polk Middle had only 4.05% proficiency and Perry Middle had 11.26%, both well below the state average of 29.41%. This suggests that while both schools effectively accelerate their top students, there is a systemic issue with middle school math instruction that affects the broader student population.
Thank you for your feedback!