The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in Science. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington County Middle
Washington County Middle School serves grades six through eight in Roper, a very small, predominantly African American rural town in the Coastal Plain near the Albemarle Sound. The school is small, with total enrollment across its three grades. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the area: Roper itself has a high poverty rate, minimal local employment, and sits about twenty-five minutes by car from regional job centers in Plymouth and Washington. Housing is older single-family homes and mobile homes; median home values in the zip code are well below the state benchmark, and the town's population has been declining.
The school's academic profile shows uneven results across subjects. In mathematics and English language arts, proficiency rates are below the midpoint, meaning fewer than half of students tested met state proficiency benchmarks. Science proficiency is considerably stronger. This pattern suggests students may have particular strengths in science instruction or engagement, while core literacy and numeracy skills are areas where many students are not yet meeting grade-level expectations. No trend data was available to show whether performance is moving up, holding steady, or declining.
The student body is predominantly Black, with small numbers of Hispanic, White, and multiracial students. No data on special education enrollment or English learner populations was reported, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about services in those areas.
A significant structural change took effect in January of this year: the district consolidated four schools onto a single new PK-12 campus in Plymouth. Washington County Middle was merged into Washington County High School as part of this consolidation. What this means in practice is that middle schoolers now share a campus and building with high school students rather than occupying a separate middle school. For families in Roper, this is a change from the past structure. The new facility is housed on the old Pines Elementary site in Plymouth, a short drive from Roper. Parents considering this school should understand they are enrolling in a combined middle-and-high-school setting, which may affect peer environment, daily routines, and the way academic and social programs are organized.
The data sections on the page show the specific proficiency numbers, student counts, and demographic breakdowns. State assessment results for science were available; average scale scores were not reported by the state for any subject. Participation rates and trend-year comparisons were also not available, so it is not possible to assess whether this school's results are improving or how they have shifted over time. For questions about curriculum breadth, extracurricular offerings, staff qualifications, or how the middle-school-within-a-high-school structure is implemented day to day, parents would need to reach out to the school or district directly.
See more original research from School Decision →