Summary:
The city of Ladson, South Carolina is home to 7 schools spanning elementary and middle grades, spread across 3 different school districts: Dorchester 02, Charleston 01, and Berkeley 01. While the schools vary in their academic performance and student demographics, a few standouts emerge from the data.
Joseph R. Pye Elementary consistently outperforms state and district averages on standardized tests, with 60-70% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. It ranks in the top 15% of elementary schools statewide. In contrast, Ladson Elementary and College Park Elementary struggle academically, despite having the highest percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high-need student populations.
The data also reveals significant disparities in student demographics and funding across the schools. Schools with more racially diverse student bodies, such as Ladson Elementary and College Park Elementary, tend to have lower test scores compared to the less diverse schools like Oakbrook Middle and Sangaree Middle. Additionally, the schools with the highest spending per student do not necessarily have the best academic performance, suggesting that funding alone does not guarantee success. Addressing these equity and opportunity gaps should be a priority for the local school districts and policymakers.
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