Summary:
The Kelso School District has two middle schools, Huntington Middle School and Coweeman Middle School, both serving grades 6-8 with similar-sized student populations and high levels of economic need.
When comparing the two, Coweeman Middle School stands out as the stronger academic performer, consistently achieving higher test scores in English, math, and science. Most notably, Coweeman has shown dramatic improvement in recent years, rising to a 3-star state rating, while Huntington Middle School has a 1-star rating and has seen its state ranking decline. Both schools perform below the Washington state average in most subjects, but Coweeman's science scores actually exceed the state average, and its 7th grade English scores are on par with it.
This performance gap is significant because the schools operate with nearly identical resources, spending similar amounts per student and having almost the same student-teacher ratios. This suggests factors beyond just funding, such as teaching methods or school leadership, are influencing outcomes. Parents should note that both schools face a common challenge with 8th-grade math scores dropping noticeably, indicating a potential area for district-wide focus.
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