Duval Pk-8

Duval Pk-8 is a small rural school in Griffithsville, WV, serving roughly 300 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade as part of Lincoln County Schools.

Duval Pk-8 has faced significant academic challenges for over a decade, consistently ranking in the bottom 2-12% of West Virginia schools. In the most recent school year, only 22.8% of students were proficient in math, 29.0% in English language arts, and just 7.6% in science—all well below both district and state averages. The school's 5th grade year appears to be a particularly difficult transition point, with only 5.6% of 5th graders proficient in math and 11.1% in ELA. However, there is a notable bright spot: 6th grade math proficiency (40.4%) actually exceeds the state average, suggesting a strong instructional approach at that level that could potentially be replicated in other grades. The school also shows a significant gender gap, with female students performing considerably better than male students.

What makes these results particularly striking is the comparison with nearby schools in the same district. Hamlin Pk-8, just 6.5 miles away with the same grade structure, achieves dramatically higher proficiency rates in math (49.4%), ELA (43.5%), and science (28.4%). Similarly, Midway Elementary School, about 8.6 miles away, ranks in the 61st percentile statewide while Duval sits in the 2nd percentile. These comparisons suggest that improvement is possible even within the same district and with similar student populations. Duval Pk-8 does maintain a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 9.5:1 and moderate per-student spending, indicating that additional resources alone won't solve the problem—targeted instructional interventions and curriculum reform are likely needed to turn things around.