Summary:
The city of Berkeley, Illinois has two schools serving students in grades K-8: MacArthur Middle School and Sunnyside Intermediate School, both part of the Berkeley School District 87. Based on the available data, neither school appears to be a standout performer, as both are struggling to meet state academic averages in core subjects like English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
MacArthur Middle School has relatively low proficiency rates in ELA (25.2%) and Math (11.4%) compared to state averages, while Sunnyside Intermediate School performs even worse with just 10.2% proficiency in ELA and 11.1% in Math. Both schools also have high chronic absenteeism rates, with Sunnyside Intermediate School reaching 26.6%. Despite the high per-student spending and favorable student-teacher ratios, the schools are still unable to achieve better academic outcomes, suggesting the need for more targeted interventions to address the specific challenges faced by their student populations.
Overall, the data paints a picture of a school district facing significant challenges in providing quality education to its students. While the reasons behind the underperformance are not entirely clear, the high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch indicate that socioeconomic factors may be playing a role. The district will need to carefully evaluate its resource allocation and implement comprehensive strategies to improve student engagement, attendance, and academic achievement across both schools.
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