The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wylam Elementary School
Wylam Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Birmingham City district, located in the Wylam neighborhood on the west side of the city. It is a neighborhood elementary school drawing from the surrounding community, and its enrollment is about the size typical for a school of this grade band in an urban district. The student body is predominantly Black, with a small Hispanic population and a small share of students who identify with two or more races; the white and Asian populations are very small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a high-poverty context. Data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program or those classified as English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year are available for grades three through five in math and English language arts, and for grade four in science. This is the only year of data, so there is no trend line to compare. In math, proficiency rates were low across all three tested grades. In English language arts, the picture was mixed: third grade and fifth grade showed proficiency levels that were closer to half of students meeting the bar, while fourth grade was lower. Science proficiency in grade four was also low. Overall, when combining all tested subjects and grades, the school’s performance sits below the midpoint relative to districts in Jefferson County. The comparison set used here is county districts, so this positions Wylam Elementary on the lower end among its peers in the broader area, though there is a wide range across the county. A parent considering this school will want to understand what academic interventions and supports are in place, particularly in math and science, and how the school is working to improve outcomes.
The broader Birmingham City district context includes a school consolidation plan approved in 2023, part of a strategic facility plan responding to declining enrollment and aging infrastructure. That plan may affect building assignments and school conditions for elementary students in the coming years. The district also opened a new Career Tech Academy in 2023, though that serves high school students and has no direct bearing on Wylam. More relevant for an elementary school is the Alabama Literacy Act’s third-grade retention provision, which took effect in the 2023-24 school year. It requires third graders who do not meet reading standards to be retained. Wylam’s third-grade ELA proficiency was near half, so a portion of students may be affected by this policy, and the district has implemented reading coaches and new literacy interventions. A parent with a child entering third grade may want to ask how the school identifies struggling readers early and what specific programs are in place.
The school is part of Birmingham, a mid-sized city that serves as a regional economic and medical hub. The city’s population has declined slightly in recent years, and Birmingham lost its status as Alabama’s largest city to Huntsville after the 2020 census, but the metropolitan area remains the largest in the state. The downtown area has seen redevelopment, and major employers include UAB, Regions Financial, and Vulcan Materials. Housing values in the Wylam area are well below national and state benchmarks, reflecting the neighborhood’s affordability. The school itself does not report data on discipline, attendance, or chronic absenteeism, so those dimensions of school climate are not available here. A parent may wish to visit the school, talk to staff and other families, and observe the learning environment directly to get a fuller sense of what daily life is like for students. For families looking for an elementary school within Birmingham City Schools, Wylam is a neighborhood option that serves a high-poverty population, with academic performance that is lower than many other districts in the county, and with key areas of support like special education and English learner services not documented in the available data.
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