Mabelvale Middle School, Mabelvale AR

Original Research by School Decision on Mabelvale Middle School

Mabelvale Middle School sits in the Little Rock School District, serving grades six through eight in the Mabelvale neighborhood of southern Little Rock. Mabelvale was originally a railroad town from the 1800s that later became part of Little Rock, and it keeps its own postal identity. The area around the school is a mix of homes and commercial stretches, anchored by Morehart Park and Little Oaks Park, with bus service on CATA Route 17. The school itself is on Mabelvale West Road near the post office, one of several district campuses spread across the neighborhood.

The student body is diverse in its composition. Black students make up the largest share, followed by a substantial Hispanic population. White students and students of two or more races together account for a smaller portion. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population with widespread economic need. The school serves a middle-school grade band only, so there is no graduation rate to report, as that measure applies to high schools.

On the state’s ATLAS assessments, Mabelvale Middle School’s proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science are low. In math, the proficiency rate declines from sixth grade to eighth grade, with the eighth-grade rate particularly low. English language arts proficiency rates hover in a similar low range across all three grades. Science proficiency rates are also low, with the eighth-grade rate being the lowest of the three tested subjects for that grade. When compared with other districts in Pulaski County, this school’s overall proficiency index places in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school should know that a very small share of students are meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks in core subjects. The pattern is consistent across grades and subjects, which means the challenge is not isolated to one year or one test. It would be reasonable for a parent to ask the school about the specific supports and interventions in place for students who are not yet at grade level, as well as how the school addresses learning gaps.

The district brief did not yield information about recent changes at the district level, such as bond measures or curriculum shifts, so that context is absent from this account. No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios, so those dimensions cannot be described here. Program offerings such as arts, music, or extracurricular activities were likewise not reported. A parent may want to contact the school directly to learn about what is available outside of core academics.

For a family, the main takeaway is straightforward. This is a middle school serving a high-poverty community where academic achievement on state tests is very low across all subjects and grade levels. The school is part of a larger district that offers a range of programs at the high school level, including a magnet high school that opened in recent years. The Mabelvale neighborhood itself provides some parks and civic amenities and is connected by public transit. The housing market in the area, reflected in typical home values and rents, is somewhat below the state benchmark for home prices, which may make it a more affordable entry point for families looking at the Little Rock housing market. A parent weighing this school will want to investigate how the school is working to raise achievement and what additional academic support looks like day to day.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 23% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 75%

School 5% · District 22% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 12% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 25% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 78%

School 8% · District 22% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 26% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 27% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 25% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

This schoolLITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, 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-income7%Higher-income15%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income6%Higher-income3%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income7%Higher-income4%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income5%Higher-income4%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income6%Higher-income5%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income5%Higher-income0%4 pp gap