The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Jacksonville Middle
Jacksonville Middle serves the seventh and eighth grades in Jacksonville Independent School District, a mid-sized district in East Texas. The school enrolls a moderate population, with a student body that is roughly evenly split between seventh and eighth grade. Close to a majority of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the area.
The school's academic results show persistent challenges across all tested subjects. In seventh-grade math, proficiency stands well below state expectations. Eighth grade shows modest improvement in math, though the rate remains low. English language arts performance is stronger as the grade level rises: seventh graders reach a low-to-moderate proficiency rate while eighth graders reach closer to a moderate level, suggesting some students gain ground in reading and writing as they move through the grades. Science proficiency in eighth grade is low, and social studies proficiency is particularly low, among the weakest areas tested at the school.
Looking across all grades and subjects together, the share of students meeting or mastering grade-level standards sits well below the midpoint for districts in Cherokee County. This positions Jacksonville Middle in the bottom tier of its county's schools by overall proficiency. The data reflects an environment where many students are entering and exiting middle school with gaps in foundational skills, particularly in mathematics and social studies.
The school's student composition is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and a smaller white enrollment. English learner and special education data were not available, so a parent may want to look into further what support services exist for students with disabilities or language needs. The economic profile is notably low-income, which correlates with the types of challenges reflected in test performance and often points to schools where students may be managing outside stressors affecting learning.
Jacksonville as a community is a small regional hub in East Texas centered on healthcare, light manufacturing, and retail. The local economy is stable rather than rapidly growing, and the town offers a small-town atmosphere with downtown shopping, parks, and outdoor recreation. Housing is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. The district serves a student population rooted in this economic and social fabric.
Jacksonville Middle is a regular public school without magnet or charter status. The school sits within a district structure; a parent considering this school would benefit from understanding what instructional approaches, intervention programs, and support systems the district has put in place to address the proficiency gaps evident in the testing data. The data provided does not cover staffing depth, course breadth, extracurricular offerings, or other resources that shape the day-to-day experience, so conversation with the school directly about what middle-school pathways and support systems exist would round out the picture.
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