Summary:
The city of Hampton, South Carolina is home to two public schools - Hampton Elementary and Ben Hazel Primary. Both schools serve economically disadvantaged student populations, with 100% of their students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. However, the schools exhibit contrasting academic performance, with Ben Hazel Primary's 3rd-grade test scores exceeding the Hampton district and state averages, while Hampton Elementary struggles to meet state benchmarks, particularly in 4th-6th grade.
Hampton Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 9.6, which could contribute to its stronger 5th-grade English Language Arts (ELA) scores compared to 4th and 6th grade. In contrast, Ben Hazel Primary has a higher student-teacher ratio of 11.4. Interestingly, Ben Hazel Primary's racial makeup is more diverse, with a higher percentage of white students (45.37%) compared to Hampton Elementary (39.5%), which has a larger African American student population (54.09%).
Despite the economic challenges faced by both schools, the data suggests that there are opportunities for improvement and best practices that could be shared between the two institutions. Further investigation into the factors driving the differences in academic achievement, such as teaching methods, curriculum, or school leadership, could provide valuable insights to help ensure all students in Hampton, South Carolina have access to a high-quality education.
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