Summary:
There is only one middle school located in Ford Heights School District 169, a district ranked 794 out of 813 in Illinois with a 0-star rating. Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center serves grades 5-8 and has seen its statewide ranking decline over the past three years, now placing 1316 out of 1369 Illinois middle schools. With only 14.4% of students proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 41.2%, Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center is clearly a struggling school.
Despite high per-student spending of $26,353 and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.7, the school is not achieving strong academic outcomes for its 153 students. This suggests that simply increasing funding or reducing class sizes may not be enough to address the underlying issues. The school also has a very high percentage of students (91.5%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.
The data highlights the significant educational disparities that exist, with students in this district performing far below their peers across the state. Addressing these inequities will require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that goes beyond just the school level. The challenges facing Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center and the broader Ford Heights School District 169 are complex and will require a concerted effort to understand and address the root causes of the low performance.
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