Summary:
The Mount Union Area School District in Pennsylvania is home to two elementary schools: Mount Union-Kistler Elementary School and Shirley Township Elementary School. Both schools have consistently struggled, ranking in the bottom quarter of Pennsylvania elementary schools and failing to meet state proficiency standards in core academic areas.
The data reveals that both schools have a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, with Mount Union-Kistler Elementary School ranked between 1058 and 1270 out of 1544 to 1547 Pennsylvania elementary schools, and Shirley Township Elementary School ranked between 1122 and 1193 out of 1526 to 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools over the past three school years. Both schools have significantly lower proficiency rates in PSSA Math, English Language Arts, and Science compared to the state averages, with Shirley Township Elementary School's 26.6% proficiency rate in PSSA English Language Arts falling well below the state average of 53%.
The high poverty levels at both schools, as indicated by their 100% free and reduced lunch rates, suggest that the student population faces significant economic challenges, which may contribute to the schools' academic struggles. Additionally, the relatively high per-student spending at these low-performing schools raises questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for targeted interventions to address the root causes of the academic underperformance. The low student-teacher ratios may also indicate challenges in recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers or in implementing effective instructional practices.
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