E. A. Cox Middle School

Summary:

E. A. Cox Middle School is a public middle school in Columbia, Tennessee, serving 656 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the Maury County School District, which is ranked 95 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Academically, E. A. Cox Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Tennessee middle schools, receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance on TNReady assessments is significantly lower than state and county averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 9.2% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 39.7% statewide and 33.2% in Maury County. The school's performance is particularly low for specific student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students.

Compared to nearby schools like Mt. Pleasant Middle Visual Perform. Arts, Spring Hill Middle School, and Battle Creek Middle School, E. A. Cox Middle School generally underperforms in academic assessments, with lower proficiency rates in core subjects. These nearby schools also have higher statewide rankings and star ratings from SchoolDigger. The school's diverse student population, with a significant percentage of African American and Hispanic students, may be a factor in its lower academic performance, as these student subgroups tend to face additional challenges and barriers to success.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 633 Bear Creek PIKE
       Columbia, TN  38401


(931) 840-3902

District: Maury County

SchoolDigger Rank:
568th of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,272 Help


Students who attend E. A. Cox Middle School usually attend:

High:    Columbia Central High School

Feeder schools for E. A. Cox Middle School:

Elementary:    R Howell Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  14.3 Help
Number of students:  652

Racial breakdown:

White:
33.7%
African American:
31.3%
Hispanic:
28.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.1% Help


 See top rated Tennessee middle schools

 Compare E. A. Cox Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details E. A. Cox Middle School ranks worse than 96.8% of middle schools in Tennessee. It also ranks last among 5 ranked middle schools in the Maury County School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.29. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at E. A. Cox Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (33.7%), African American (31.3%), Hispanic (28.2%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at E. A. Cox Middle School is 14.3, which is the 2nd best among 5 middle schools in the Maury County School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare E. A. Cox Middle School employs 45.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at E. A. Cox Middle School is $11,272. 2 middle schools in the Maury County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

E. A. Cox Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks E. A. Cox Middle School 568th of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See E. A. Cox Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Maury County:

SchoolDigger ranks Maury County 95th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for E. A. Cox Middle School?

Rank History for E. A. Cox Middle School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 29.66 344th 435 20.9%
2011 37.44 317th 462 31.4%
2012 23.64 393rd 466 15.7%
2013 30.81 406th 475 14.5%
2014 25.16 409th 485 15.7%
2015 19.00 450th 492 8.5%
2018 8.21 537th 563 4.6%
2019 9.39 539th 574 6.1%
2021 10.42 515th 576 10.6%
2022 8.69 540th 569 5.1%
2023 9.48 549th 594 7.6%
2024 7.29 568th 587 3.2%
See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.42 33rd 42 21.4%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.55 217th 279 22.2%
2024 16.47 293rd 299 2.0%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.59 474th 481 1.5%
2019 10.53 480th 490 2.0%
2021 10.73 476th 483 1.4%
2022 11.99 472nd 495 4.6%
2023 8.97 510th 514 0.8%
2024 9.19 502nd 510 1.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 8.76 507th 529 4.2%
2021 8.67 508th 538 5.6%
2022 7.70 534th 552 3.3%
2023 8.51 535th 560 4.5%
2024 7.56 542nd 554 2.2%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 11.59 485th 523 7.3%
2021 14.48 457th 529 13.6%
2022 10.53 509th 540 5.7%
2023 10.49 521st 557 6.5%
2024 7.73 542nd 560 3.2%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.54 280th 284 1.4%
2019 12.14 293rd 293 0.0%
2022 16.10 276th 299 7.7%
2023 16.96 292nd 316 7.6%
2024 13.11 307th 318 3.5%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.01 208th 219 5.0%
2019 11.40 225th 228 1.3%
2021 16.99 238th 261 8.8%
2022 14.66 261st 275 5.1%
2023 10.99 276th 285 3.2%
2024 9.00 283rd 285 0.7%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at E. A. Cox Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools TN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.19 470th 481 2.3%
2019 11.37 465th 484 3.9%
2021 11.26 478th 496 3.6%
2022 7.81 490th 500 2.0%
2023 7.48 494th 503 1.8%
2024 6.14 496th 504 1.6%
See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department 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.

E. A. Cox Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Open Quote its bad enough that my kid knew who each of their teachers was voting for in the election because those teachers are paid for math, english, history, science.... not being paid to teach my kid their own personal political opinions. But when they allow their teachers to share with my minor their sexual preferences and sexual orientation is beyond a violation and not acceptable. There should not be a teacher who feels like its their right to talk to talk to my child about their sexual preferences and I have no clue as to how that could ever tie into any of the subjects my on my childs schedule.... and we'll be homeschooling. It was bad enough being 121st school district in tennessee out of 140 districts, and 539th out of 574 middle schools in tennessee but brainwashing my kid with your own personal and private agendy is not what our tax dollars are supposed to be spent on and your opinion isnt actually made for the classroom, the factual subject you were hired to teach is how those funds were meant to be utilized. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Open Quote This past 5th grade year was very disappointing. The lack of participation from students and parents is clearly wearing on the teachers. My daughter stopped having homework at the beginning of the second semester. She stated that teachers said they stopped handing it out because no one would do it and the kids didn't care. At this grade level, shouldn't homework or some sort exist, especially with the students being at such low performing levels? It seemed that learning was not occurring, it was more about memorizing test answers to get passing scores. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, January 7, 2013

Open Quote This school is having a large problem with bullies. I have been to the school 3 times this year myself to address the issues with school officials. I personally know of many other parents that are in the same boat as I. My son hates going to this school. A few of the problem kids have been addressed, but not all. My son is told by his teachers to just ignore them. What kind of message is being sent by these teachers? It's a shame that we have to send our children to place where they should be able to have fun and learn, but can't due to the proverbial blind eye being turned. Close Quote



Enrollment information for E. A. Cox Middle School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1998 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0
1999 705 221 5 33 1 n/a n/a 0 965
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1049 1049
2001 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 954 954
2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 654 654
2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 654 654
2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 654 654
2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 674 674
2006 610 118 8 46 2 n/a n/a 0 784
2007 523 102 10 50 1 n/a n/a 0 686
2008 622 130 9 51 2 n/a n/a 0 814
2009 621 142 9 65 0 n/a n/a 0 837
2010 612 167 13 60 1 n/a n/a 0 853
2011 387 156 4 48 1 1 3 0 600
2012 395 165 6 57 5 1 4 0 633
2013 441 261 9 85 2 2 11 0 811
2014 385 263 8 97 0 1 9 0 763
2015 385 256 11 105 1 0 2 0 760
2016 354 282 8 109 1 0 3 0 757
2017 351 262 6 114 0 0 5 0 738
2018 339 285 3 123 0 0 10 0 760
2019 323 279 4 137 1 0 11 0 755
2020 312 256 4 161 1 0 12 0 746
2021 279 265 4 153 0 0 16 0 717
2022 266 240 3 160 2 0 21 0 692
2023 235 210 4 174 1 0 32 0 656
2024 220 204 4 184 1 1 38 0 652

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 E. A. Cox Middle School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 0 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 965 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 1049 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 954 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 654 n/a n/a n/a
2003 654 n/a n/a n/a
2004 654 n/a n/a n/a
2005 674 n/a n/a n/a
2006 784 49.0 16.0 n/a
2007 686 45.0 15.2 34.8
2008 814 47.0 17.3 26.3
2009 837 53.0 15.8 34.3
2010 853 49.5 17.2 40.9
2011 600 40.5 14.8 58.2
2012 633 40.5 15.6 64.6
2013 811 48.5 16.7 71.4
2014 763 49.0 15.5 73.5
2015 760 52.0 14.6 66.4
2016 757 49.0 15.4 77.7
2017 738 49.6 14.8 n/a
2018 760 49.9 15.2 n/a
2019 755 49.8 15.1 n/a
2020 746 48.1 15.5 74.1
2021 717 52.7 13.5 n/a
2022 692 45.0 15.3 n/a
2023 656 42.5 15.4 n/a
2024 652 45.3 14.3 n/a

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 E. A. Cox Middle School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 0 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 965 n/a 0.0 n/a
2000 1049 n/a 0.0 n/a
2001 954 n/a 0.0 n/a
2002 654 n/a n/a n/a
2003 654 n/a n/a n/a
2004 654 n/a n/a n/a
2005 674 n/a n/a n/a
2006 784 49.0 16.0 n/a
2007 686 45.0 15.2 34.8
2008 814 47.0 17.3 26.3
2009 837 53.0 15.8 34.3
2010 853 49.5 17.2 40.9
2011 600 40.5 14.8 58.2
2012 633 40.5 15.6 64.6
2013 811 48.5 16.7 71.4
2014 763 49.0 15.5 73.5
2015 760 52.0 14.6 66.4
2016 757 49.0 15.4 77.7
2017 738 49.6 14.8 n/a
2018 760 49.9 15.2 n/a
2019 755 49.8 15.1 n/a
2020 746 48.1 15.5 74.1
2021 717 52.7 13.5 n/a
2022 692 45.0 15.3 n/a
2023 656 42.5 15.4 n/a
2024 652 45.3 14.3 n/a

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 E. A. Cox Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $734 (8.4%) $7,497 (85.5%) $8,772
2020 $780 (8.4%) $7,895 (85.3%) $9,254
2021 $1,096 (10.9%) $8,539 (84.7%) $10,084
2022 $1,555 (15.2%) $8,092 (78.9%) $10,259
2023 $1,460 (13.0%) $9,154 (81.2%) $11,272

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

Impact of COVID-19 on E. A. Cox 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 539th of 574 Middle schoolsRanks 549th of 594 Middle schools
 1.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (E. A. Cox Middle School)12.615.1
 2.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Maury County)2425.5
 1.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)35.237
 1.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (E. A. Cox Middle School)11.75.8
 5.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Maury County)2522.7
 2.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)3933.8
 5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (E. A. Cox Middle School)10.215.6
 5.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Maury County)21.327.9
 6.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)33.435.9
 2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (E. A. Cox Middle School)14.815
 0.2%
   6th Grade Social Studies (Maury County)29.637.7
 8.1%
   6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)3843.4
 5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (E. A. Cox Middle School)10.87.5
 3.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Maury County)18.124.7
 6.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)33.635
 1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (E. A. Cox Middle School)9.111.5
 2.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Maury County)25.325.7
 0.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)35.436.1
 0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (E. A. Cox Middle School)8.616.4
 7.8%
   7th Grade Social Studies (Maury County)33.735.7
 2%
   7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)43.246.9
 3.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (E. A. Cox Middle School)11.58.5
 3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Maury County)18.315.1
 3.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)27.126.3
 0.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (E. A. Cox Middle School)13.813.7
 0.1%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Maury County)23.830.5
 6.7%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)41.541.6
 0.1%
All Grades Mathematics (E. A. Cox Middle School)7.37.8
 0.5%
   All Grades Mathematics (Maury County)25.728.2
 2.5%
   All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)40.838.1
 2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (E. A. Cox Middle School)10.812.7
 1.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Maury County)23.728.4
 4.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)33.736.6
 2.9%
All Grades Social Studies (E. A. Cox Middle School)12.415
 2.6%
   All Grades Social Studies (Maury County)29.234.8
 5.6%
   All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)40.943.9
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students755656
 13.1%
African American279210
 24.7%
American Indian11
Asian44
Hispanic137174
 27%
Pacific Islander00
White323235
 27.2%
Two or More Races1132
 190.9%


Schools Near E. A. Cox Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about E. A. Cox Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 652 students attended E. A. Cox Middle School.

Students who attend E. A. Cox Middle School usually go on to attend Columbia Central High School

Students at E. A. Cox Middle School are 34% White, 31% African American, 28% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

E. A. Cox Middle School ranks in the bottom 3.2% of Tennessee middle schools.


Rate E. A. Cox Middle School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for E. A. Cox Middle School!




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





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 113 milliseconds.