Linda Nolen Learning Center, Pelham AL

Original Research by School Decision on Linda Nolen Learning Center

LindaNolen Learning Center is a special education school in Pelham, Alabama, serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates under the Shelby County school district and is designated as a special education school by the state. The student body is small, with a total enrollment that places it among the smallest schools in the area. Slightly more than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and the racial makeup is predominantly white, with a substantial Black and Hispanic representation as well. Asian and multiracial students make up a very small share.

Because this is a special education school, its academic mission differs from that of a typical neighborhood school. The school is designed to serve students with disabilities, many of whom may have significant educational needs that are not measured well by standard state assessments. On Alabama’s ACAP tests, the school reported a proficiency rate of zero in both math and English language arts for every tested grade from third through eighth. Science scores were suppressed due to small numbers. While these results would raise concerns in a general education setting, for a school like Linda Nolen they are expected: the state test is not calibrated for this population, and many students likely take alternate assessments or are not included in the standard testing pool. A parent considering this school would want to ask about the specific measures the school uses to track student progress, such as individualized education plan goals, functional assessments, or alternative benchmarks.

No graduation rate is reported in the available data. That gap is common for schools that serve students across a wide range of disabilities and ages; many students may remain in the program beyond a traditional four-year high school span or transition to other services. The school’s overall proficiency index, when compared across all districts in Shelby County, falls in the bottom quartile. That comparison, however, is not especially meaningful here, because the comparison set consists of districts running conventional schools. The relevant benchmark for a special education center is not general district averages but rather how the school meets the needs of its specific students.

Pelham, where the school is located, is a suburban city in Shelby County about a short drive south of Birmingham. It has experienced steady growth as Birmingham’s suburbs have expanded southward. The community is auto-oriented, with development spread along Highway 31 and the I-65 corridor. Oak Mountain State Park, one of the largest state parks in Alabama, is a major recreational anchor. The city also has a civic complex with ice rinks, tennis courts, and a golf course, but there is no compact downtown. Schools in Pelham are part of the Shelby County district, and Linda Nolen Learning Center occupies its own campus rather than being centrally located.

The district brief for Shelby County turned up no recent changes of lasting impact that would affect a parent’s decision about this school. That leaves the focus squarely on the school itself. Linda Nolen Learning Center is not a school a family would choose based on typical academic metrics. It is a specialized setting for students who require significant support, and the available state test data reflects that reality rather than indicating poor performance. A parent exploring this school should expect to have a conversation with staff about how the program defines progress, what services are offered across the full PK-12 span, and how the school prepares students for life after transition age. The community context of Pelham provides typical suburban amenities and access to the broader Birmingham area, but the school’s value lies in its specific program, not in its location or its position on a district comparison chart.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 2 students · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

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 30%

School 0% · District 54% · ▼ 54 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 52 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 51% · ▼ 51 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 50 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 55% · ▼ 55 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 41% · ▼ 41 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 42 pts below county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 34% · ▼ 34 pts below district

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 34% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 30%

School 0% · District 75% · ▼ 75 pts below district

▼ 65 pts below state median · ▼ 78 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 68% · ▼ 67 pts below district

▼ 58 pts below state median · ▼ 68 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 80% · ▼ 80 pts below district

▼ 67 pts below state median · ▼ 81 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 64% · ▼ 64 pts below district

▼ 55 pts below state median · ▼ 69 pts below county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 69% · ▼ 69 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 69 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 64% · ▼ 64 pts below district

▼ 52 pts below state median · ▼ 60 pts below county median

This schoolShelby 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.