Summary:
In zip code 76002 (Arlington, TX), there are two middle schools serving grades 5-8 within the highly-rated Mansfield Independent School District (Isd), which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 78th percentile in Texas.
James Coble Middle (grades 7-8, 750 students) stands out as the academic leader in the area, primarily due to its exceptional Algebra I program, where 97.1% of students are proficient—far exceeding the state average of 54.03%. However, this school presents a stark contrast: only 29.57% of 8th graders are proficient in standard 8th-grade math, well below the state average of 47.24%. This suggests that while advanced students thrive, the general math curriculum needs significant improvement. In comparison, Della Icenhower Intermediate (grades 5-6, 619 students) performs more consistently, with 5th-grade reading proficiency (59.6%) slightly above the state average (58.47%), but its math scores (32.65% in 5th grade) also lag behind state averages. Both schools serve a student population where over 63% are economically disadvantaged, as indicated by free/reduced lunch rates.
A critical takeaway is the "math gap" that begins at Icenhower and widens at Coble, pointing to a systemic issue in the feeder pattern. While Icenhower has a lower student-teacher ratio (12.7 vs. 14.5) and slightly lower spending per student ($8,442 vs. $8,872), its test scores are generally lower than Coble's in comparable subjects, indicating that factors beyond class size drive performance. Reading is a relative strength for both schools, with scores near or above state averages. For parents, this data reveals that while Coble offers an elite advanced math track, both schools struggle with standard math instruction, and the transition from Icenhower to Coble may be particularly challenging for students not in the advanced program.
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