Middle Schools in St. Louis City

The middle schools located in the St. Louis City school district serve a predominantly African American student population, with high rates of economic disadvantage. While some standout schools like Busch Middle School Character Athletics and Compton-Drew ILC Middle demonstrate higher academic performance, the majority of the 8 middle schools in the district struggle with low proficiency rates on state assessments, well below the district and state averages.

The data reveals significant performance gaps, with proficiency rates in Mathematics for 8th grade ranging from just 0.7% to 18.3% at the schools, compared to the state average of 30%. This suggests the schools are facing challenges in supporting student learning, likely exacerbated by the high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which range from 94.74% to 99.41% across the schools. The wide variation in student-teacher ratios, from 9.9 to 40.7, may also indicate differences in staffing and resource allocation that could impact the ability to provide individualized attention and support.

Despite the concerning picture painted by the data, the standout performance of schools like Busch Middle School Character Athletics and Compton-Drew ILC Middle demonstrates that higher levels of student achievement are possible, even in high-poverty contexts. Addressing the underlying factors, such as poverty, resource allocation, and staffing, may be crucial in driving improvements and providing a more equitable education for all students in the St. Louis City middle school system.