Van Sickle Academy

Summary:

Van Sickle Academy is a public middle school in Springfield, Massachusetts, serving 256 students in grades 6-8. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher-than-average spending per student, the school consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Van Sickle Academy's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels, with only 18.14% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 12.24% in Mathematics.

The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 20% of Massachusetts middle schools for English Language Learners and Special Education students, and in the bottom 30% for African American and Low Socioeconomic Status students. Compared to nearby schools in the Springfield district, such as South End Middle School, STEM Middle Academy, and Rise Academy at Van Sickle, Van Sickle Academy's performance is consistently lower, with little to no improvement over the past several years.

While the high percentage of economically disadvantaged and English Language Learner students at Van Sickle Academy may be contributing factors, the school's location within the low-performing Springfield district could also be a significant influence. Addressing the challenges facing Van Sickle Academy will be crucial in order to improve student outcomes and provide a better educational experience for the community.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1170 Carew Street
       Springfield, MA  01104


(413) 750-2887

District: Springfield

SchoolDigger Rank:
422nd of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,846 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  9.1 Help
Number of students:  256

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
80.1%
White:
8.6%
African American:
7.8%
more


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Van Sickle Academy ranks worse than 85.6% of middle schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 2nd among 13 ranked middle schools in the Springfield School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.69. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (80.1%), White (8.6%), African American (7.8%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van Sickle Academy is 9.1, which is the 4th best among 13 middle schools in the Springfield School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Van Sickle Academy employs 28 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van Sickle Academy is $18,846. 10 middle schools in the Springfield School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Van Sickle Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Van Sickle Academy 422nd of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Van Sickle Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Springfield:

SchoolDigger ranks Springfield 328th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Van Sickle Academy

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Rank History for all students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.27 460th 484 5.0%
2019 5.08 475th 498 4.6%
2021 10.75 456th 501 9.0%
2022 10.41 456th 497 8.2%
2023 18.64 409th 501 18.4%
2024 15.69 422nd 493 14.4%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.72 106th 127 16.5%
2019 25.87 138th 138 0.0%
2021 38.65 84th 135 37.8%
2022 39.07 100th 154 35.1%
2023 33.05 125th 155 19.4%
2024 32.28 174th 180 3.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.36 438th 467 6.2%
2019 8.51 466th 484 3.7%
2021 15.50 454th 489 7.2%
2022 16.18 451st 503 10.3%
2023 20.52 408th 444 8.1%
2024 19.91 410th 441 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.23 419th 438 4.3%
2019 8.63 434th 452 4.0%
2021 16.37 422nd 462 8.7%
2022 15.79 440th 489 10.0%
2023 28.81 369th 481 23.3%
2024 26.37 358th 469 23.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.57 454th 463 1.9%
2019 4.94 463rd 478 3.1%
2021 11.02 449th 483 7.0%
2022 9.51 465th 494 5.9%
2023 19.22 399th 489 18.4%
2024 18.11 399th 481 17.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.14 396th 417 5.0%
2019 13.95 415th 424 2.1%
2021 20.31 400th 431 7.2%
2022 20.48 409th 445 8.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.63 442nd 466 5.2%
2019 5.73 462nd 478 3.3%
2021 11.72 445th 485 8.2%
2022 12.40 453rd 497 8.9%
2023 18.43 401st 489 18.0%
2024 14.66 426th 483 11.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 14.36 424th 491 13.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 15.23 316th 339 6.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for African American students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.83 128th 172 25.6%
2019 5.52 194th 195 0.5%
2024 26.08 159th 202 21.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.45 284th 309 8.1%
2019 14.06 306th 322 5.0%
2021 23.77 279th 335 16.7%
2022 22.71 314th 368 14.7%
2023 34.09 232nd 364 36.3%
2024 32.31 245th 378 35.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Van Sickle Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 1.94 393rd 395 0.5%
2019 1.38 396th 396 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Van Sickle Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
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100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, November 22, 2019

Open Quote if you have a choice, do not send your child here. I enrolled my daughter in this school. the same week she was accepted in a charter school and I decided to let her go to the charter school instead. 3 months later the principal called me to ask where my daughter was? I asked him what is the policy and procedure for when a child does not show up at school, he replied that he just need to know where my daughter is so that he can take her off his books. not only that he said if I don't tell him where my daughter is he will call DCF. I told him to go right ahead and while he's at it explain to them what their policy and procedure is, when students are absent . absurd!!! maybe its 3 months later. did your child died? oh we just noticed 3 months later. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Van Sickle Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2016 52 51 7 280 0 0 0 0 390
2017 45 43 9 266 0 0 2 0 365
2018 45 47 7 299 0 0 5 0 403
2019 21 29 4 204 0 0 2 0 260
2020 15 20 4 207 0 0 1 0 247
2021 21 21 5 226 0 0 3 0 276
2022 25 23 5 223 0 0 1 1 278
2023 22 20 7 205 1 0 1 0 256

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Van Sickle Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 390 33.0 11.8 n/a
2017 365 25.2 14.4 n/a
2018 403 32.0 12.5 n/a
2019 260 19.8 13.1 n/a
2020 247 22.5 10.9 n/a
2021 276 23.5 11.7 n/a
2022 278 29.0 9.5 n/a
2023 256 28.0 9.1 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Van Sickle Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 390 33.0 11.8 n/a
2017 365 25.2 14.4 n/a
2018 403 32.0 12.5 n/a
2019 260 19.8 13.1 n/a
2020 247 22.5 10.9 n/a
2021 276 23.5 11.7 n/a
2022 278 29.0 9.5 n/a
2023 256 28.0 9.1 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Van Sickle Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,244 (11.7%) $16,895 (88.3%) $19,140
2020 $2,044 (11.2%) $16,143 (88.8%) $18,187
2021 $2,045 (10.9%) $16,801 (89.1%) $18,846

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Van Sickle Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 475th of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 409th of 501 Middle schools
 13.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Van Sickle Academy)2628.1
 2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield)2719
 8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Van Sickle Academy)1315.9
 2.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Springfield)2511.1
 13.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Van Sickle Academy)129.9
 2.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield)1816.2
 1.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Van Sickle Academy)711.1
 4.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Springfield)1811.4
 6.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Van Sickle Academy)1533.8
 18.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield)2120.9
 0.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Van Sickle Academy)813.8
 5.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Springfield)199.7
 9.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (Van Sickle Academy)717.7
 10.7%
   8th Grade Science (Springfield)1512.2
 2.8%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Van Sickle Academy)1723.9
 6.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Springfield)3021.9
 8.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Van Sickle Academy)813.6
 5.6%
   All Grades Mathematics (Springfield)2516.3
 8.8%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Van Sickle Academy)717.7
 10.7%
   All Grades Science (Springfield)2318.1
 4.9%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students260256
 1.5%
African American2920
 31%
American Indian01
Asian47
 75%
Hispanic204205
 0.5%
Pacific Islander00
White2122
 4.8%
Two or More Races21
 50%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Van Sickle Academy

In the 2022-23 school year, 256 students attended Van Sickle Academy.

Students at Van Sickle Academy are 80% Hispanic, 9% White, 8% African American, 3% Asian.

Van Sickle Academy ranks in the bottom 14.4% of Massachusetts middle schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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