Ringgold Middle, Rio Grande City TX

Original Research by School Decision on Ringgold Middle

Ringgold Middle serves grades six through eight in Rio Grande City, a town in Starr County in South Texas near the Rio Grande. The school enrolls a small number of students who are predominantly from low-income households; the vast majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is almost entirely Hispanic. State testing data from the most recent year shows proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint of performance across districts in Starr County.

In mathematics, proficiency varies by grade. Sixth graders show the lowest performance, with about a quarter of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards. Seventh grade marks a notable rise, with performance roughly doubling. Eighth grade settles at a middle level. English language arts results are more consistent across grades, with proficiency rates clustering around the middle threshold; sixth and seventh grades perform similarly, while eighth grade dips slightly. In science, eighth graders perform at a higher level than in math or ELA, with about half meeting proficiency. Social studies on the eighth-grade assessment shows the school's lowest results, with only a small fraction of students achieving proficiency.

The pattern across these results reflects uneven preparation across subjects. Students appear to show greater command of science content than of the other tested areas. The strength in science does not carry into social studies, which suggests students may struggle with history and civics specifically, or perhaps with the format or complexity of that assessment. The weakness in sixth-grade math is particularly pronounced and warrants attention as these students move forward.

The Rio Grande City Grulla ISD, which operates Ringgold Middle alongside other schools in the district, has invested in mathematics instruction over the past few years. Beginning in 2021, the district adopted rigorous, research-backed math materials across all its middle schools in a multi-year effort designed to deepen teacher knowledge and improve classroom teaching. This work extended into high school algebra as well. That initiative should be affecting the instruction students receive at Ringgold, though the results here suggest the work is still taking root.

The school's demographics reflect the community it serves. Nearly all students are from households below the poverty line, and the student body is almost entirely Hispanic, with virtually no racial or ethnic diversity. This is consistent with the composition of the town itself. No state testing data was available on participation rates, and data on English learner enrollment and special education enrollment were not reported, which is common for schools in this region and grade band but leaves those populations unquantified.

A parent considering Ringgold Middle should view the math results, especially at the sixth-grade level, as a starting point for conversation with the school about how instruction is being differentiated, what support exists for students below grade level, and how the district's curriculum initiative is being implemented in individual classrooms. Science appears to be a relative strength and may offer insight into what approaches work well for these students. The school serves a high-poverty community with limited diversity; families should understand both the economic circumstances of peers and the coherence of student experience in a school that is deeply rooted in a single demographic.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 34% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 31% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 37% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 46% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Science

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 43% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

This schoolRIO GRANDE CITY GRULLA ISD, 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-income43%Higher-income86%43 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income73%32 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income80%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income57%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income73%32 pp gap