The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Math. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Naylor Elem.
Naylor Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the small and rural town of Naylor, Missouri. It is the only elementary school in the Naylor R-II district, and for a family considering this area, the school sits at the center of a community that is small, economically modest, and losing population. Naylor itself has seen a decline in residents over recent decades, and the school’s enrollment reflects a modestly sized student body for its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the area’s economic base, where key employers include a couple of industrial manufacturing facilities and a nursing home. The town offers a medical clinic, a public library, two parks, and a volunteer fire department; the nearest hospital and community college are both outside of town. There is no public transit, and travel is by state highway.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small numbers of Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on the share of students with disabilities and the share of English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it serves those populations.
On state assessments, the Missouri MAP results for the most recent year show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts varied by grade, and they were generally below what many families would hope to see. In third grade, about a quarter of students scored proficient or above in math, and about a third did so in English language arts. Fourth-grade results were lower, with fewer than one in five students proficient in math and about one in seven proficient in reading. Fifth grade saw roughly a third of students proficient in math and about one in six proficient in English language arts. Sixth-grade math and English language arts results, as well as fifth-grade science results, were suppressed in the data we reviewed, so we cannot report them. When looking at the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades and comparing it to other districts in Ripley County, the school sits above the midpoint of that small county set. That said, the county itself has a limited number of districts, and the absolute proficiency numbers are low enough that a parent should discuss with the school what academic supports and interventions are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent major changes or initiatives that would affect a parent’s decision, and no information was found on programs such as gifted education, specialized arts offerings, or early childhood services beyond the prekindergarten grade listed. A parent moving into the area may want to ask directly about the specific curriculum, any after-school programming, and how the school identifies and supports students who are struggling academically.
Naylor Elementary is the public school option for a rural community that is small and economically pressed. Its academic results are a concern that warrants a close conversation with the school. For a family that values a very small-town setting and is prepared to be engaged in their child’s learning, this school fits that context, but the data suggests that the school has ground to make up in bringing students to proficiency.
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