Northwest Middle School

Summary:

Northwest Middle School is a public middle school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 869 students. The school is part of the Reading School District, which is ranked 558 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Northwest Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Pennsylvania middle schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 737 and 810 out of around 900 schools.

Northwest Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 7.4% of students were proficient or better in Math, compared to 9.4% for the Reading School District and 40.4% for the state. In English Language Arts, 19.9% of students were proficient or better, compared to 21.3% for the district and 53% for the state. The school also has relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 1.5% to 5.2% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Northwest Middle School has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a very low-income student population.

When comparing Northwest Middle School to schools in the higher-performing Governor Mifflin and Exeter Township school districts, the differences in academic proficiency rates, funding, and student demographics are stark. This highlights the significant disparities in educational opportunities and resources available to students in different parts of the Reading area. Addressing the systemic challenges faced by Northwest Middle School and the broader Reading School District will likely require a multi-faceted approach, including increased funding, targeted interventions, and a focus on equity and access to high-quality education for all students.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 1000 N Front St
       Reading, PA  19601-1442


(610) 371-5772

District: Reading School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
789th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools


Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually attend:

High:    Reading Senior High School

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle School:

Elementary:    Glenside Elementary School
    Riverside Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  869

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
87.5%
African American:
7.0%
White:
4.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Northwest Middle School ranks worse than 88.6% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 2nd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Reading School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.46. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (87.5%), African American (7%), White (4.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Reading School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwest Middle School is 16.4, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Reading School District! (See more...)
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Compare Northwest Middle School employs 52.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northwest Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest Middle School 789th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Northwest Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Reading School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Reading School District 558th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Northwest Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 14.08 560th 643 12.9%
2004 17.70 571st 663 13.9%
2005 18.92 589th 687 14.3%
2006 19.68 627th 736 14.8%
2007 21.51 630th 749 15.9%
2008 20.22 639th 753 15.1%
2009 31.24 608th 770 21.0%
2010 34.72 625th 805 22.4%
2011 25.83 680th 825 17.6%
2012 12.08 743rd 834 10.9%
2013 5.06 692nd 758 8.7%
2014 7.21 655th 728 10.0%
2016 8.66 768th 870 11.7%
2017 11.04 748th 877 14.7%
2018 9.97 760th 861 11.7%
2019 8.41 803rd 891 9.9%
2021 8.37 737th 797 7.5%
2022 10.60 778th 883 11.9%
2023 8.99 810th 893 9.3%
2024 10.46 789th 891 11.4%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.69 109th 143 23.8%
2024 22.06 141st 150 6.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 11.65 799th 874 8.6%
2024 13.50 773rd 877 11.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 10.66 767th 860 10.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 16.98 628th 660 4.8%
2024 17.94 621st 672 7.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 10.40 782nd 870 10.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 27.68 315th 421 25.2%
2024 31.69 269th 408 34.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 17.09 326th 362 9.9%
2024 20.88 305th 362 15.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 9.19 637th 673 5.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Northwest Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Northwest Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 321 153 8 175 0 n/a n/a 0 657
1989 385 219 7 250 0 n/a n/a 0 861
1990 387 220 6 293 0 n/a n/a 0 906
1991 400 231 6 282 0 n/a n/a 0 919
1992 334 177 7 300 0 n/a n/a 0 818
1993 346 186 8 322 1 n/a n/a 0 863
1994 327 196 12 339 1 n/a n/a 0 875
1995 257 177 8 356 0 n/a n/a 0 798
1996 257 177 8 356 0 n/a n/a 0 798
1997 267 197 3 365 0 n/a n/a 0 832
1998 265 205 0 383 0 n/a n/a 0 853
1999 265 232 3 418 0 n/a n/a 0 918
2000 260 236 6 492 0 n/a n/a 0 994
2001 202 221 4 447 0 n/a n/a 0 874
2002 176 234 9 547 2 n/a n/a 0 968
2003 176 234 9 547 2 n/a n/a 0 968
2004 181 244 9 652 0 n/a n/a 0 1086
2005 161 226 8 680 0 n/a n/a 0 1075
2006 154 226 7 780 0 n/a n/a 0 1167
2007 93 190 6 715 0 n/a n/a 0 1004
2008 64 160 7 652 0 n/a n/a 0 883
2009 65 144 3 620 0 n/a n/a 0 832
2010 50 111 4 533 0 n/a n/a 0 698
2011 44 110 5 583 1 0 0 0 743
2012 41 103 3 523 1 0 16 0 687
2013 40 90 2 495 4 0 7 0 638
2014 33 77 4 529 3 0 10 0 656
2015 36 63 5 533 0 0 16 0 653
2016 31 62 3 563 0 0 18 0 677
2017 27 55 1 586 0 0 15 0 684
2018 28 46 0 575 0 1 14 0 664
2019 26 54 0 608 0 1 9 0 698
2020 41 68 3 771 0 0 6 0 889
2021 59 77 5 771 1 0 4 0 917
2022 59 79 4 778 0 0 8 0 928
2023 38 61 3 760 0 0 7 0 869

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 657 53.5 12.2 n/a
1989 861 66.0 13.0 n/a
1990 906 63.0 14.3 0
1991 919 63.0 14.5 n/a
1992 818 56.5 14.4 n/a
1993 863 46.0 18.8 n/a
1994 875 47.0 18.6 n/a
1995 798 51.0 15.6 n/a
1996 798 51.0 15.6 n/a
1997 832 50.0 16.6 n/a
1998 853 52.0 16.4 n/a
1999 918 53.0 17.3 n/a
2000 994 60.0 16.6 72.7
2001 874 60.0 14.6 71.6
2002 968 62.0 15.6 74.7
2003 968 62.0 15.6 74.7
2004 1086 64.7 16.8 61
2005 1075 65.8 16.3 67.3
2006 1167 62.9 18.6 85.9
2007 1004 56.2 17.9 84.7
2008 883 66.2 13.3 91.5
2009 832 67.5 12.3 99.6
2010 698 59.3 11.7 94.6
2011 743 58.3 12.7 93
2012 687 53.8 12.7 94
2013 638 44.8 14.2 93.9
2014 656 42.8 15.3 94.4
2015 653 41.0 15.9 99.5
2016 677 41.0 16.5 100
2017 684 40.0 17.1 100
2018 664 42.0 15.8 100
2019 698 43.0 16.2 100
2020 889 56.0 15.8 99.9
2021 917 55.0 16.6 99.7
2022 928 54.0 17.1 99.7
2023 869 52.8 16.4 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 657 53.5 12.2 n/a
1989 861 66.0 13.0 n/a
1990 906 63.0 14.3 0
1991 919 63.0 14.5 n/a
1992 818 56.5 14.4 n/a
1993 863 46.0 18.8 n/a
1994 875 47.0 18.6 n/a
1995 798 51.0 15.6 n/a
1996 798 51.0 15.6 n/a
1997 832 50.0 16.6 n/a
1998 853 52.0 16.4 n/a
1999 918 53.0 17.3 n/a
2000 994 60.0 16.6 72.7
2001 874 60.0 14.6 71.6
2002 968 62.0 15.6 74.7
2003 968 62.0 15.6 74.7
2004 1086 64.7 16.8 61
2005 1075 65.8 16.3 67.3
2006 1167 62.9 18.6 85.9
2007 1004 56.2 17.9 84.7
2008 883 66.2 13.3 91.5
2009 832 67.5 12.3 99.6
2010 698 59.3 11.7 94.6
2011 743 58.3 12.7 93
2012 687 53.8 12.7 94
2013 638 44.8 14.2 93.9
2014 656 42.8 15.3 94.4
2015 653 41.0 15.9 99.5
2016 677 41.0 16.5 100
2017 684 40.0 17.1 100
2018 664 42.0 15.8 100
2019 698 43.0 16.2 100
2020 889 56.0 15.8 99.9
2021 917 55.0 16.6 99.7
2022 928 54.0 17.1 99.7
2023 869 52.8 16.4 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,829 (14.1%) $11,173 (85.9%) $13,002
2020 $00 (NaN) $00 (NaN) $00
2021 $00 (NaN) $00 (NaN) $00
2022 $00 (NaN) $00 (NaN) $00

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 803rd of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 810th of 893 Middle schools
 0.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Northwest Middle School)5.33.3
 2%
   6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)3936.4
 2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest Middle School)21.418.4
 3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)6355.6
 7.4%
7th Grade Math (Northwest Middle School)10.95.6
 5.3%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest Middle School)28.720.4
 8.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
All Grades Math (Northwest Middle School)85.8
 2.2%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Northwest Middle School)2520.4
 4.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students698869
 24.5%
African American5461
 13%
American Indian00
Asian03
Hispanic608760
 25%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White2638
 46.2%
Two or More Races97
 22.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Middle School

Students at Northwest Middle School are 87% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% White.

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually go on to attend Reading Senior High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 869 students attended Northwest Middle School.

Northwest Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.4% of Pennsylvania middle schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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