Summary:
The Fort Smith School District in Arkansas is home to 4 middle schools serving grades 6-8. The data reveals stark performance differences among these schools, with L.A. Chaffin Middle School standing out as the top-performing school in the district and Dora Kimmons Middle School and William O. Darby Middle School struggling to meet state averages.
L.A. Chaffin Middle School is consistently ranked among the top 20 middle schools in Arkansas and has earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school boasts significantly higher proficiency rates than the district and state averages across all subject areas, including impressive results in math, algebra, and science. In contrast, Dora Kimmons and Darby have 1-star ratings and rank in the bottom half of Arkansas middle schools, with proficiency rates below 30% in many core subjects.
Ramsey Middle School falls in the middle, performing better than Dora Kimmons and Darby but not quite reaching the high levels of L.A. Chaffin. Ramsey has a 3-star rating and ranks around the top third of Arkansas middle schools. The data suggests that factors beyond just spending per student and student-teacher ratios, such as curriculum, teaching quality, and school culture, may be driving the significant performance differences among these schools.
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