Students from schools with a low percentage of children in poverty generally do better than students from schools that a have a high percentage of children in poverty. That’s a statement that’s generally true — but not always.
Chad Aldeman, who contributes to the Bright Spots column at education web site, The 74 Million, recently highlighted schools where student test scores in reading were much higher than what their school’s poverty scores might predict. In a recent article, Aldeman identified the top five public schools in each state that beat the odds by the biggest margin. Yes, we can have a long discussion around the poverty rate. Right now however, we’re dealing with results. In North Carolina the top five schools for reading performance based on the school’s poverty rate and expectations include:
River Bend Elementary (Haywood County Schools)
River Bend Elementary School Poverty Rate 98.5%
Expected Rate of Reading Proficiency: 39.8%
Actual Rate of Reading Proficiency: 84.4%
Bath Elementary School (Beaufort County Schools)
Bath Elementary School Poverty Rate of 99.4%
Expected Rate of Reading Proficiency: 39.5%
Actual Rate of Reading Proficiency: 81.3%
Shoals Elementary School (Surry County Schools)
Shoals Elementary School Poverty Rate: 98.8%
Expected Rate of Reading Proficiency: 39.7%
Actual Rate of Reading Proficiency: 80.0%
East Robeson Primary School (Robeson County Schools)
East Robeson Primary School Poverty Rate: 99.4%
Expected Level of Reading Proficiency: 39.5%
Actual Level of Reading Proficiency: 78.2%
Chocowinity Primary School (Beaufort County Schools)
Chocowinity Primary School Poverty Rate: 99.4%
Expected Reading Proficiency Rate: 39.5%
Actual Reading Proficiency Score: 77.2%
Kudos to these schools and students. These achievements should serve as a constant reminder that a child’s future can never be predicted from a few numbers.
