Alston Middle, Summerville SC - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Alston Middle

Alston Middle is a regular public school in Summerville, South Carolina, serving grades six through eight as part of Dorchester School District Two. The school sits within a fast-growing suburban town that is part of the Charleston metropolitan area, a place known for its historic downtown and rapid residential development.

The student body is diverse. White students and Black students each make up a substantial share of enrollment, with a meaningful Hispanic presence and a smaller but notable number of students who identify as two or more races. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a largely low-income community. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so those dimensions of the student population are not part of this account.

Academically, Alston Middle shows a clear split between English language arts and mathematics. On the state’s SC Ready assessments, ELA proficiency is around the midpoint or higher in sixth and seventh grades, then drops in eighth grade. Math proficiency is notably lower across all three grades, and the pattern worsens as students advance: sixth-grade math performance is modest, seventh grade is weaker, and eighth grade is the lowest of the three. Science proficiency for sixth graders sits at about half of students meeting the standard. Social studies results are from an older cycle and a different assessment, so they do not reflect current performance. Compared with other districts in Dorchester County, Alston Middle’s overall proficiency index is above the midpoint, though that comparison set is small and may not capture the full range of schools a family might consider. For a family choosing a middle school, the math results are a soft spot worth exploring with the school to understand what supports are in place.

The school’s setting reflects the broader growth of Summerville. Dorchester Two has opened a new middle school to keep pace with rising enrollment, and the district operates more than two dozen schools in the corridor that stretches from Summerville toward North Charleston. The town itself has seen rapid population gains in recent years, with new housing subdivisions spread across its several municipalities. Housing values in the area are higher than the state average but sit near the national median, which matters for families weighing the cost of living against school options.

Program offerings beyond the core academic subjects were not reported in the data, nor were details on course access, staffing ratios, or discipline. A parent looking for a fuller picture of what the school offers in terms of electives, athletics, or support services would need to follow up directly with the school or district.

Alston Middle serves a large and economically diverse student body in a growing suburban district. Its ELA results are a relative strength, while math achievement lags noticeably, especially by eighth grade. The school sits in a community that is expanding quickly, and the district is actively adding capacity to manage that growth.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 45% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 41% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 39% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 63% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 66% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 58% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 75% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median

This schoolDorchester 02, 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-income50%Higher-income70%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income53%Higher-income68%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income44%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income51%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income35%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income26%11 pp gap