The Pathway, Mobile AL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on The Pathway

The Pathway is a regular public school in Mobile serving kindergarten through 8th grade. It sits within the Mobile County district and operates as a neighborhood school rather than a magnet or charter. Enrollment is modest for a K–8 building, and nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced‑price lunch, indicating a student body with concentrated economic need. Racially, the school is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of White students and very few from other backgrounds.

On state assessments, results are sharply low. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency in any grade is extremely small; several grade levels show none. Reading and language arts proficiency is higher but still weak overall. A notable exception is 3rd grade, where half of students met the bar, but that figure drops abruptly in 4th grade and remains low through 8th. Science results are also low. Because The Pathway serves no high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

Relative to other schools in Mobile County, The Pathway falls in the bottom quartile on a combined proficiency measure across tested subjects and grades. That placement is consistent with the raw results: the school’s academic performance is well below the typical school in the county and far below the top performers. A parent considering this school would want to talk with the school directly about what instructional supports are in place and how the school is working to raise achievement.

There is no publicly available information about chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, course offerings beyond the standard curriculum, or staffing ratios for this school. The district itself – Mobile County – did not have major recent changes reported that would alter a family’s decision.

Mobile is a mid‑size port city with a mixed industrial, aerospace, shipbuilding, and healthcare economy. The school is located in the city, which has a historic downtown with cultural amenities but also a large geographic footprint that makes most of the city car‑dependent. Housing in the surrounding area is relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks, and home values have seen a modest recent decline. The city’s economy has grown in recent decades with major employers like the Port of Mobile, Airbus, and Austal USA, but the 2023 west annexation shifted the city’s demographics and population. For a family living in or moving to Mobile, The Pathway represents a K–8 option that is heavily oriented toward serving a low‑income community and that faces significant academic challenges, particularly in math. A thorough visit and a conversation with school leadership would be essential to understand exactly what programs and interventions are available for students.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 37%

School 7% · District 37% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 35% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 37% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 25% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 73%

School 3% · District 19% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 18% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 44%

School 4% · District 54% · ▼ 49 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 63% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 49% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 53% · ▼ 44 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 52% · ▼ 38 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Science

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 38% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 40% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

This schoolMobile 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income0%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income0%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income3%Higher-income0%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income0%Higher-income0%0 pp gap