Northern Lehigh Middle School

Summary:

Northern Lehigh Middle School is a public middle school serving 224 students in grades 7-8 in Slatington, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Northern Lehigh School District. The school faces several challenges, including consistently underperforming the state and district averages on standardized tests, a steady increase in dropout rates, and a very high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, only 27.8% of Northern Lehigh Middle School students were proficient or better in Math in 2023-2024, compared to 40.4% statewide. Similarly, their English Language Arts proficiency of 54.7% trails the state average of 53%. The school struggles to serve its Hispanic and low socioeconomic status student populations, with these subgroups ranking in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools in terms of academic performance. Compared to nearby middle schools like Springhouse Middle School and Orefield Middle School, Northern Lehigh Middle School significantly underperforms across the board.

Despite spending a relatively high amount of $21,872 per student in 2021-2022, the school's performance has steadily declined, with its statewide ranking dropping from 374 out of 835 Pennsylvania middle schools in 2014-2015 to 383 out of 891 in 2023-2024. Addressing the school's challenges, particularly in serving its most vulnerable student populations, will likely require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improve teaching and learning.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 600 Diamond St
       Slatington, PA  18080-1313


(610) 767-9812

District: Northern Lehigh School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
383rd of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $21,872 Help


Students who attend Northern Lehigh Middle School usually attend:

High:    Northern Lehigh Senior High School

Feeder schools for Northern Lehigh Middle School:

Elementary:    Peters Elementary School
    Slatington Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  230

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.7%
Hispanic:
20.9%
African American:
3.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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 Compare Northern Lehigh Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Northern Lehigh Middle School ranks better than 57% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.26. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.7%), Hispanic (20.9%), African American (3.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern Lehigh Middle School is 11.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Northern Lehigh Middle School employs 20.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern Lehigh Middle School is $21,872.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northern Lehigh Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern Lehigh Middle School 383rd of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Northern Lehigh Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Northern Lehigh School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern Lehigh School District 377th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Northern Lehigh Middle School?

Rank History for Northern Lehigh Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 53.08 376th 643 41.5%
2004 51.12 408th 663 38.5%
2005 36.27 516th 687 24.9%
2006 48.96 455th 736 38.2%
2007 55.59 408th 749 45.5%
2008 52.01 441st 753 41.4%
2009 50.20 476th 770 38.2%
2010 66.09 303rd 805 62.4%
2011 59.56 404th 825 51.0%
2012 52.49 494th 834 40.8%
2013 44.02 513th 758 32.3%
2014 32.94 550th 728 24.5%
2015 57.08 374th 835 55.2%
2016 49.94 484th 870 44.4%
2017 48.45 488th 877 44.4%
2018 49.13 479th 861 44.4%
2019 46.47 519th 891 41.8%
2021 40.93 487th 797 38.9%
2022 34.75 585th 883 33.7%
2023 49.89 469th 893 47.5%
2024 58.26 383rd 891 57.0%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 45.07 485th 874 44.5%
2024 43.82 503rd 877 42.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 54.80 414th 860 51.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.52 419th 660 36.5%
2024 64.98 148th 672 78.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 59.28 358th 870 58.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.33 250th 362 30.9%
2024 23.98 290th 362 19.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northern Lehigh Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 42.15 385th 681 43.5%
2024 50.74 315th 673 53.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Northern Lehigh Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Open Quote Food is gross and has gotten me sick so many times, teachers aren't strict enough with students keeping their masks one, also there's one teacher who's a big creep Close Quote



Enrollment information for Northern Lehigh Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 464 5 4 5 0 n/a n/a -35 443
1989 450 7 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 458
1990 486 4 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 495
1991 504 6 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 513
1992 522 3 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 534
1993 519 5 2 14 0 n/a n/a 0 540
1994 516 3 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 527
1995 479 4 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 492
1996 479 4 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 492
1997 483 4 4 7 1 n/a n/a 0 499
1998 493 5 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 507
1999 489 7 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 508
2000 497 6 3 8 0 n/a n/a 0 514
2001 509 7 4 9 0 n/a n/a 0 529
2002 327 4 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 338
2003 327 4 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 338
2004 322 5 1 8 0 n/a n/a 0 336
2005 332 6 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 350
2006 346 2 1 7 0 n/a n/a 0 356
2007 318 1 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 325
2008 300 3 1 12 0 n/a n/a 0 316
2009 293 4 1 14 0 n/a n/a 1 313
2010 263 5 1 21 0 n/a n/a 3 293
2011 243 7 2 22 0 0 1 0 275
2012 236 11 3 20 0 0 3 0 273
2013 219 8 3 26 0 0 10 0 266
2014 236 4 2 33 0 0 5 0 280
2015 230 2 1 31 0 0 4 0 268
2016 215 2 1 27 0 0 6 0 251
2017 201 4 2 34 0 0 3 0 244
2018 201 1 1 33 1 0 6 0 243
2019 212 2 1 23 1 0 8 0 247
2020 186 2 2 29 0 1 13 0 233
2021 199 3 2 37 0 1 6 0 248
2022 182 2 1 49 0 0 7 0 241
2023 167 3 0 47 0 0 7 0 224
2024 165 8 1 48 0 0 8 0 230

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northern Lehigh Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 443 26.0 17.0 n/a
1989 458 27.0 16.9 n/a
1990 495 25.0 19.8 0
1991 513 27.5 18.6 n/a
1992 534 30.5 17.5 n/a
1993 540 26.5 20.4 n/a
1994 527 26.5 19.9 n/a
1995 492 26.5 18.6 n/a
1996 492 26.5 18.6 n/a
1997 499 27.5 18.1 n/a
1998 507 28.0 18.1 n/a
1999 508 28.5 17.8 n/a
2000 514 29.5 17.4 22.2
2001 529 30.0 17.6 24
2002 338 27.9 12.1 24
2003 338 27.9 12.1 24
2004 336 27.9 12.0 22.9
2005 350 27.7 12.6 23.1
2006 356 28.4 12.5 28.1
2007 325 29.5 11.0 16.6
2008 316 29.1 10.9 31.3
2009 313 29.0 10.8 33.7
2010 293 28.6 10.2 35.2
2011 275 28.6 9.5 34.2
2012 273 22.2 12.2 38.8
2013 266 22.2 11.9 41
2014 280 20.9 13.3 47.5
2015 268 21.0 12.7 44.8
2016 251 21.0 11.9 42.6
2017 244 20.4 11.9 42.6
2018 243 20.4 11.8 46.1
2019 247 19.2 12.8 45.7
2020 233 18.5 12.5 48.5
2021 248 18.5 13.4 34.3
2022 241 18.9 12.7 40.7
2023 224 21.4 10.4 100
2024 230 20.2 11.3 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northern Lehigh Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 443 26.0 17.0 n/a
1989 458 27.0 16.9 n/a
1990 495 25.0 19.8 0
1991 513 27.5 18.6 n/a
1992 534 30.5 17.5 n/a
1993 540 26.5 20.4 n/a
1994 527 26.5 19.9 n/a
1995 492 26.5 18.6 n/a
1996 492 26.5 18.6 n/a
1997 499 27.5 18.1 n/a
1998 507 28.0 18.1 n/a
1999 508 28.5 17.8 n/a
2000 514 29.5 17.4 22.2
2001 529 30.0 17.6 24
2002 338 27.9 12.1 24
2003 338 27.9 12.1 24
2004 336 27.9 12.0 22.9
2005 350 27.7 12.6 23.1
2006 356 28.4 12.5 28.1
2007 325 29.5 11.0 16.6
2008 316 29.1 10.9 31.3
2009 313 29.0 10.8 33.7
2010 293 28.6 10.2 35.2
2011 275 28.6 9.5 34.2
2012 273 22.2 12.2 38.8
2013 266 22.2 11.9 41
2014 280 20.9 13.3 47.5
2015 268 21.0 12.7 44.8
2016 251 21.0 11.9 42.6
2017 244 20.4 11.9 42.6
2018 243 20.4 11.8 46.1
2019 247 19.2 12.8 45.7
2020 233 18.5 12.5 48.5
2021 248 18.5 13.4 34.3
2022 241 18.9 12.7 40.7
2023 224 21.4 10.4 100
2024 230 20.2 11.3 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northern Lehigh Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $55 (0.3%) $18,492 (99.7%) $18,546
2020 $15 (0.1%) $18,840 (99.9%) $18,854
2021 $455 (2.3%) $19,123 (97.7%) $19,578
2022 $734 (3.4%) $21,138 (96.6%) $21,872

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern Lehigh Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 519th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 469th of 893 Middle schools
 5.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Northern Lehigh Middle School)3341
 8%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Lehigh Middle School)56.960
 3.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Northern Lehigh Middle School)24.19.6
 14.5%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Northern Lehigh Middle School)51.750
 1.7%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Lehigh Middle School)47.342.9
 4.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Northern Lehigh Middle School)28.624.9
 3.7%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Northern Lehigh Middle School)51.750
 1.7%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Northern Lehigh Middle School)52.151.2
 0.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students247224
 9.3%
African American23
 50%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic2347
 104.3%
Pacific Islander00
White212167
 21.2%
Two or More Races87
 12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.7%100%
 54.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Lehigh Middle School

Students who attend Northern Lehigh Middle School usually go on to attend Northern Lehigh Senior High School

Northern Lehigh Middle School ranks 383rd of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Northern Lehigh Middle School are 72% White, 21% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 230 students attended Northern Lehigh Middle School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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