Ider School, Ider AL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ider School

Ider School is a single K-12 public school serving the small, rural town of Ider atop Sand Mountain in DeKalb County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it is the only school in the town. The school is a central community anchor, hosting annual events like the Homecoming Parade, and its building sits along the highway corridor that also holds Town Hall and the public library. Ider itself is a quiet, low-density town with a car-dependent layout, a modest park with a walking trail, and very slow population growth. The town’s largest employment sector is manufacturing, and the school system is a significant local employer.

Ider School serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade under one roof, a structure that means siblings attend the same building and students move through a single community of peers from early childhood to graduation. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of American Indian or Alaska Native students and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a community with substantial economic need.

State testing results from the most recent year show a mixed picture that varies sharply by grade level. In elementary grades, particularly third and fifth grade, a strong majority of students met proficiency benchmarks in both math and English language arts. Fifth grade was a standout, with a very high share of students proficient in both subjects. Fourth grade and sixth grade also showed solid English language arts results, though math proficiency in fourth grade was lower. The middle school years present a different story. Seventh and eighth grade math proficiency rates were low, and eighth grade science proficiency was also low. English language arts in those grades was more moderate, with about two-thirds of seventh graders and just over half of eighth graders meeting the bar. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in DeKalb County, a strong showing for the county. However, the pattern of strong elementary performance followed by a sharp drop in middle school math is one a parent may want to discuss with the school.

The school serves a student body that is predominantly white, with a notable American Indian or Alaska Native population and smaller Hispanic and multiracial shares. The school is not a Title I school, though the data did not specify its Title I status. Information on special education identification rates and English learner counts was not available. The school is not a charter and does not have a magnet designation.

Housing in the Ider area is notably more affordable than national or state benchmarks. The typical home value is well below the state median, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is modest relative to national norms. This affordability, combined with the town’s very slow growth and rural character, means the housing market is stable but not competitive. A family moving here is likely choosing a quiet, low-cost setting rather than a fast-growing suburb.

The school’s academic profile is strongest in the early elementary grades, where a large majority of students meet state standards in both reading and math. Fifth grade, in particular, posted very high proficiency rates in both subjects. The middle school years show a different pattern. Math proficiency drops substantially in seventh and eighth grade, and science proficiency in both fourth and eighth grade is low. English language arts holds up better through middle school, with a majority of students still meeting the bar in seventh and eighth grade. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile among districts in DeKalb County, a strong relative position. But the drop in middle school math is sharp enough that a parent considering the school for a child entering those grades may want to ask what supports are in place.

The school’s enrollment is small for a K-12 building, with a fairly even distribution across grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable American Indian or Alaska Native population. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available. The school does not appear to be a Title I school, though the data on that status was not definitive. No information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or course access was provided. The graduation rate was also not available in the data.

Housing in the Ider area is affordable. Typical home values sit well below both the state and national medians, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is modest. The town’s population is growing very slowly, and no major new developments are reported. A family moving here is choosing a quiet, low-cost rural setting with a single school that serves as the community’s educational and social hub.

The school’s academic strengths are concentrated in the elementary grades, where reading and math proficiency rates are strong. The middle school years, particularly in math and science, show much lower proficiency, and a parent of a middle schooler may want to ask about the school’s approach to those subjects. The school’s overall proficiency index is the highest among DeKalb County’s districts, a strong relative position, but that county-level comparison includes only two districts, so the top-quartile placement reflects a small field. The school’s graduation rate was not available in the data.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 47 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

373 schools plotted. 7 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 46% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 38% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 34% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 16% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 15% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 61% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 53% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 65% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 50% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 49% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 49% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 33% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolDeKalb County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.