Summary:
The city of Shickshinny, Pennsylvania is home to 3 schools that serve students from elementary through high school, including Northwest Area High School, Northwest Area Intermediate School, and Northwest Area Primary School. While the Northwest Area School District as a whole underperforms the state averages on standardized tests, the Intermediate School stands out with strong academic performance, particularly in science. In contrast, the High School has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking and has mixed results on Keystone Exams.
The Intermediate School's proficiency rates on PSSA tests exceed the district and state averages in many subject areas and grade levels, with an impressive 89.7% of students scoring proficient or better in science. This school also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio of 10:1, which may contribute to its academic success. Meanwhile, the High School maintains a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, with a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 87.5% and a low dropout rate of 1.6%, but its performance on Keystone Exams is mixed, with strong results in Literature but lower proficiency in Algebra I and Biology.
Across the district, a significant portion of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 41.59% at the High School to 53.08% at the Primary School, indicating a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. This may have implications for the schools' ability to provide additional support and resources to address the needs of these students. The district's per-student spending, which is above the state average, suggests a commitment to funding, but the disparities in performance between the Intermediate School and the High School suggest that there may be differences in instructional practices, resource allocation, or other factors that contribute to the Intermediate School's success.
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