Calera Middle, Montevallo AL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Calera Middle

Calera Middle serves grades six through eight and is part of the Shelby County school system. The school is located in Montevallo, a small college town that is home to the University of Montevallo. The university is the dominant economic and cultural force in the town, providing concerts, plays, and collegiate athletics, and sits in the heart of the city rather than on a separated campus. The town’s character is a mix of residential neighborhoods, a compact commercial core, and the university campus integrated into the city fabric. Montevallo is roughly a moderate drive south of Birmingham, and some residents likely commute to the larger metropolitan area for work. The city’s civic anchors include Orr Park and Shoal Creek Park, as well as the American Village civics education center.

The school’s enrollment is substantial for a middle school serving only three grade levels. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a population with significant economic need. The student body is diverse, with the largest groups being Black or African American students and White students, followed by Hispanic students, with smaller shares of students who are two or more races, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

On the Alabama ACAP assessments for the most recent school year, Calera Middle’s results show a clear pattern. In English language arts, roughly half of students met the proficiency mark across grades six, seven, and eight. In science, the share of eighth graders who were proficient was somewhat lower, around a third. The more challenging subject was mathematics, where the share of students scoring proficient was considerably lower across all three grade levels, landing well under a quarter of students.

When placed against other districts in Shelby County, Calera Middle’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. This is a straightforward signal that academic performance at the school, as measured by these state tests, trails the county average by a meaningful margin. A parent reading this should understand that while the school provides a regular public middle school education, its test results are weaker than those of many nearby schools in the same county. Someone choosing between Calera Middle and another Shelby County middle school would want to look into what academic supports and interventions are in place.

We looked for data on chronic absenteeism and discipline but did not find it reported for this school. Similarly, information on the number of students with Individualized Education Programs and English learner students was not available in the data provided. These are relevant factors for families with children who need specialized support, and their absence means a parent should ask the school directly about these populations.

The Shelby County district brief did not surface any recent major changes or initiatives of lasting impact that are publicly reported, so this narrative cannot speak to district-level shifts that might affect the school.

Calera Middle is a regular public school serving a diverse and economically mixed student body in a small college town. Its academic performance on state assessments is below the county median, particularly in mathematics. The school sits within a district that serves multiple towns across Shelby County, with Montevallo itself offering a small-town environment anchored by the university. A family considering this school should weigh the academic data, visit the school, and ask about programs for students who need additional support in math and reading.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 41% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 34% · ▼ 18 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 34% · ▼ 18 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 64% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 69% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 64% · ▼ 12 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Science

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 56% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 15 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income59%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income62%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income68%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income36%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income29%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income12%Higher-income21%9 pp gap