Summary:
The Drexel R-IV school district in Missouri has only one high school, Drexel High, which serves grades 6-12 with an enrollment of 120 students. While the school's small size may offer a more personalized learning environment, the data reveals several areas of concern regarding its academic performance and student outcomes.
Drexel High has struggled with low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and significantly lower-than-average test scores across all subjects and grade levels. The school's four-year graduation rate of 72.7% falls below the state average, and its 6.4% dropout rate is higher than the norm. Alarmingly, only 21.1% of 6th-grade students at Drexel High were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 37.6%. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 19.8% is substantially higher than the state average, which may be contributing to the academic challenges.
Despite spending more per student than the state average, Drexel High's performance has declined over the years, dropping from a statewide ranking of 196 out of 468 Missouri high schools in 2017-2018 to 334 out of 378 in 2023-2024. The school's high proportion of students from low-income families, as indicated by the 35.83% free and reduced lunch rate, may be a factor in its struggles, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and additional resources to address the unique needs of this population. Overall, the data paints a concerning picture of Drexel High, and the Drexel R-IV district may need to implement strategic measures to improve student outcomes and reverse the school's declining performance.
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