Shaw Middle School is a public middle school in Spokane, Washington, serving 764 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Spokane School District, which is ranked 123 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Despite the school's higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratio, Shaw Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Washington middle schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in SBAC English Language Arts and Math are significantly lower than the Spokane School District and Washington state averages, often by 20-30 percentage points. For example, in 2023-2024, only 20.42% of Shaw students were proficient in ELA, compared to 48.46% in the district and 52.63% statewide. In Math, the proficiency rate was just 13.01%, compared to 38.41% in the district and 41.68% statewide.
The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds (88.22% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) suggests that it may be facing significant challenges related to poverty, such as access to resources, parental involvement, and student readiness. Nearby schools, such as Sacajawea Middle School and Highland Middle School, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, with proficiency rates that are 30-40 percentage points higher than Shaw Middle School, despite having similar student demographics. This indicates that there may be opportunities for Shaw Middle School to learn from the practices and strategies of these higher-performing schools.
Shaw Middle School ranks in the bottom 2.2% of Washington middle schools.
Spokane School District
Students at Shaw Middle School are 55% White, 16% Two or more races, 13% Hispanic, 6% Pacific Islander, 5% African American, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.
In the 2022-23 school year, 764 students attended Shaw Middle School.
Students who attend Shaw Middle School usually go on to attend Rogers High School