Summary:
The Canton Public School District in Mississippi is home to two middle schools serving grades 6-8. While both schools face significant economic challenges, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Huey L. Porter Middle School stands out as the higher-performing institution compared to Nichols Middle School.
Huey L. Porter Middle School consistently outperforms Nichols Middle School and the district/state averages in ELA, math, and science proficiency. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 58.7% of 7th graders at Huey L. Porter were proficient in math, compared to just 23.6% at Nichols Middle. This academic success is reflected in Huey L. Porter's higher statewide ranking of 169 out of 264 Mississippi middle schools, while Nichols Middle is ranked 243 out of 264.
Despite serving similar high-needs student populations, the stark performance gap between the two middle schools within the Canton Public School District is noteworthy. Further investigation into the specific practices, resources, and leadership at Huey L. Porter Middle that are contributing to its relative success could provide valuable insights for improving the academic outcomes across the entire district, which currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 100 out of 130 districts in Mississippi.
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