Summary:
The city of Decatur, Alabama is home to three middle schools serving grades 6-8: Decatur Middle School, Austin Middle School, and Priceville Junior High School. While the Decatur City middle schools struggle to perform, with 2-star ratings, Priceville Junior High School stands out as a high-performing institution, consistently ranking among the top 25% of middle schools in Morgan County.
Priceville Junior High School's students significantly outperform the state and Decatur City district averages in both mathematics and English language arts. For example, 44.7% of Priceville's 8th graders were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to just 22.06% statewide and 15.05% in the Decatur City district. Priceville's 8th grade science proficiency rate was also much higher at 64.39%, compared to 38.67% statewide and 40.32% at Decatur Middle School.
The performance gap between Priceville Junior High School and the Decatur City middle schools is substantial, despite Priceville spending significantly less per student. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as student demographics and community support, may play a significant role in the schools' academic outcomes. Priceville Junior High School serves a predominantly white, more affluent student population, while the Decatur City schools have a more diverse student body with a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students. These disparities may contribute to the observed differences in academic performance.
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