Summary:
The city of Ridgeway, Virginia is home to two schools: Magna Vista High and Drewry Mason Elementary. While both schools face socioeconomic challenges with high rates of free and reduced lunch recipients, the data analysis reveals that Drewry Mason Elementary is the standout performer in the area.
Drewry Mason Elementary consistently outperforms the Henry County Public Schools district and the state of Virginia in key academic metrics, such as SOL Mathematics, SOL Science, and SOL English Reading. The school maintains a stable statewide ranking and a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating a quality education. In contrast, Magna Vista High has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 153 out of 325 Virginia high schools in 2021-2022 to 301 out of 329 in 2023-2024, with its SchoolDigger rating decreasing from 3 stars to 0 stars over the same period.
The data also reveals racial disparities between the two schools, with Magna Vista High having a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students compared to Drewry Mason Elementary. Further analysis would be needed to understand if there are any achievement gaps or disparities in educational outcomes based on race. Additionally, the similar spending per student at both schools suggests that factors other than funding, such as teaching quality, curriculum, and school leadership, may be driving the performance differences.
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