Summary:
This analysis covers six public schools in Tacoma's 98408 zip code, all part of the Tacoma School District, serving about 3,000 students from elementary through middle school in a community with high economic need.
Among these schools, Mann Elementary School stands out as the highest performer, ranking above the state average in science and showing consistent strength. In contrast, the three middle schools—Baker Middle School, Stewart Middle School, and Angelo Giaudrone Middle School—face significant challenges, with rankings in the bottom quarter of the state and particularly low math proficiency. Birney Elementary School and Whitman Elementary School fall in the middle, with Whitman showing relative strength in science.
Key takeaways show that higher per-student spending does not guarantee better results, as seen at Birney, and that academic struggles are most pronounced in middle school math. However, the improvement at Angelo Giaudrone and the strong science scores at Mann and Whitman indicate areas of potential. Overall, while the schools share similar demographic challenges, performance varies, suggesting that factors within individual schools' control can make a difference in student outcomes.
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