Pickens County High School, Reform AL

Original Research by School Decision on Pickens County High School

Pickens County High School serves students from fifth through twelfth grade in Reform, a small, predominantly rural town in west Alabama. The school is the single public high school in the Pickens County district, drawing from a community that has seen a sustained population decline. Housing values in the area are low relative to state medians, and the town’s economic base, historically rooted in lumber and agriculture, offers limited major employment today. The school’s student body is small and the overwhelming majority of students come from low-income households.

State testing data paints a clear picture of where the school’s academic performance stands. In math, proficiency rates across grades five through eight are very low, with only a modest share of students meeting the state bar in any tested grade. English language arts results are stronger but still well below what many families would consider a level of solid performance: around half or fewer of students scored proficient in each middle-grade level. Science proficiency in grade eight is similarly in the low range. The school has only one year of assessment data available under the current testing regime, so there is no trend to examine yet. A parent looking at these results will want to ask the school directly about its strategies for lifting achievement, particularly in math, where the numbers are most concerning.

The student composition is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of white students and very small numbers of students identifying as Hispanic, Asian, or two or more races. Information on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the data provided. The school operates as a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet.

The data did not include a graduation rate, which for a school serving twelfth grade is a notable gap. A parent investigating the school should request this figure directly from the school or district office, as it is a routine accountability measure. Likewise, information on course offerings, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, career and technical education programs, and staffing ratios was absent from the data, making it difficult to assess academic pathways beyond the testing results. The district brief did not surface any recent school board changes, construction, or policy shifts of lasting impact.

The town of Reform itself offers few civic amenities beyond its municipal building. There is no walkable downtown or public transit system, and the built environment is highway-oriented along US Route 82. For families, this means commuting by car is a given. The housing market is among the more affordable in the state, consistent with the area’s economic challenges.

In sum, Pickens County High School serves a community experiencing economic strain and population loss. Academic proficiency, especially in math, is low, and the absence of key data points like the graduation rate and program offerings leaves important questions unanswered for a family weighing a move into the district. The school’s small size may offer closer student-teacher relationships, but any assessment of that must come from direct inquiry; the data provided does not support a judgment. A parent considering this school should plan to visit, speak with administrators about academic supports and postsecondary pathways, and ask for the missing figures directly.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 28 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 58%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 23% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 73%

School 3% · District 14% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 9% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 60% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 49% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 45% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Science

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 29% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median

This schoolPickens 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

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income4%Higher-income0%4 pp gap