Summary:
The city of Diagonal, Iowa is home to two schools: Diagonal Elementary School and Diagonal Junior-Senior High School, both part of the Diagonal Community School District. While Diagonal Elementary School is a strong performer, ranking in the top 30% of Iowa elementary schools, Diagonal Junior-Senior High School has struggled in recent years, with its statewide ranking dropping significantly.
Diagonal Elementary School stands out with consistently high test scores, particularly in 5th-grade English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, which are well above the state averages. The school also benefits from a low student-teacher ratio of 10:1, likely contributing to its academic success. In contrast, Diagonal Junior-Senior High School has seen its ranking plummet from 151 out of 327 Iowa high schools in 2020-2021 to 285 out of 336 in 2022-2023, with a low 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
The Diagonal school district serves a relatively disadvantaged student population, with both schools having free/reduced lunch rates around 40%. This suggests that addressing equity concerns and supporting student learning at the high school level should be a priority for the district. While the elementary school is thriving, the declining performance at the high school level is a concerning trend that warrants further investigation and potential intervention to ensure all students in Diagonal receive a high-quality education.
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