Summary:
The city of Newton, Mississippi is home to 3 public schools serving students from elementary through high school: Newton Elementary School, Newton High School, and N H Pilate Middle School. These schools operate under the Newton Municipal School District and serve a predominantly African American student population with high rates of poverty.
Among the 3 schools, Newton High School stands out as the highest-performing, with test scores that exceed the state averages in key subjects like Algebra I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History. In contrast, the elementary and middle schools struggle, with proficiency rates often 10-20 percentage points below the state average. This suggests systemic challenges within the district that need to be addressed.
Despite the academic challenges, the schools benefit from relatively low student-teacher ratios, ranging from 7.9 at Newton High School to 12.7 at Newton Elementary School. However, this resource advantage does not appear to be translating into stronger academic outcomes, particularly at the lower grade levels. Identifying and replicating the successful practices of Newton High School could help improve performance across the district.
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