Summary:
The 23702 zip code area in Virginia is home to two underperforming schools - Cradock Elementary and Cradock Middle, both serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. These schools consistently rank in the bottom 10-15% of their respective school types in the state and have received the lowest possible performance rating from SchoolDigger.
Academically, students at both Cradock Elementary and Cradock Middle struggle, scoring well below state and district averages on standardized tests across subjects. For example, Cradock Elementary's 3rd-grade math proficiency rate was just 51.65% in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 72.89%. Additionally, both schools have high chronic absenteeism rates, exceeding 15% in the 2023-2024 school year. These factors, combined with the schools' high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggest that they are serving a high-need population with limited resources, as evidenced by their below-average per-student spending.
Despite their persistent underperformance, the data does not indicate that Cradock Elementary or Cradock Middle have made significant progress in improving their rankings or test scores over time. This lack of improvement points to the need for more targeted interventions and support to address the root causes of the schools' challenges, which may include socioeconomic factors, resource allocation, and student engagement. As part of the Portsmouth City Public Schools district, these schools require focused attention and resources to ensure that all students in the 23702 zip code area have access to a high-quality education.
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