HUNTSVILLE

ELEMENTARY
Year 2016-2017 P-6 Pop. 12,930

COMPARISON OF
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Huntsville, Alabama, is host of a wide and diverse population. With a
wealth of local and national businesses stationed in Huntsville, as
well as two large universities, there is immense opportunity for our
students to succeed. We thus pose the question, why are our
elementary schools so different in the opportunities offered and
challenges faced?

Sonnie Hereford Monte Sano

Elementary School
A cutting edge newly built school,
about to end it's second school
year in operation. Named after
the first Black child to attend a
White school, 6% of it's
population is White.
Elementary School
A clear standout in academic
excellence an innovation. They
boast impressive 90% ACT ASPIRE
proficiency for their White 4-6th
graders, and a depressing 78%
White population majority.

Rolling Hills Blossomwood

Elementary
An excellent example of the
schools that feed into Mae
Jemison HS, only 2% of students
in attendance are White and 64%
of the students receiving Free
Lunch. 
Elementary
A well rounded school, whose
population roughly mirrors that of
Huntsville City, 51% White, 37%
Black, 13% other. 43% of students
receive free lunch. 

Martin Luther King Jr Hampton Cove

Elementary
A historic name for a historic
school whom has been open since
1967. I wonder how the Doctor
would feel about the school's lack
of diversity, e.g. only 8% of the
population is White.
Elementary
Located in the affluent Hampton
Cove community, the school is
equally as prestigious. They stand
firmly on the far right of the curve
in regards to assessments, but
only 7% of the students enrolled
are Black.

HUNTSVILLE AVERAGES
Huntsville as a whole is middling in terms of assessments, and
when viewed system wide it is not apparent that there is any lack
of diversity. The devil is in the details. When the system is
examined at the school level it becomes apparent that there are
few if any middle ground schools. Instead we have an acceptable
average occurring from wildly differing extremes from excellence
to absolute failure.

District Population

68
% 5th Graders Other
21%
Proficient in English on The ACT

ASPIRE Exam Black

40%

42
% 5th Graders
Proficient in Math on The ACT

ASPIRE Exam White

39%
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 HUNTSVILLE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS

-ACT ASPIRE-

5TH GRADE ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

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Remember that the Huntsville City School System average is 68%.

Of particular note Sonnie Hereford feeds into the same HS
(Huntsville HS) as Monte Sano, Blossomwood and Hampton Cove,
however there is a gap of 27 to 42 percent between the proficiency
levels.

5TH GRADE MATH PROFICIENCY

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As above, recall that the system average is 42%. Of the schools

being looked at Sonnie Hereford scored the poorest with only 15%
of 5th graders considered proficient in Math. Hampton Cove scores
over five times better with 80% of students proficient. Remember
that the two populations go on to attend the same high school.
 HUNTSVILLE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS

-FEEDER %'S ACT ASPIRE MATH-

The graphs on this page show the level of proficiency per grade for
a couple of the feeder systems being examined.

Rolling Hills -> McNair -> Jemison

50

40

30

20

10

0
3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 10th 11th

Hampton Cove P-5 -> Hampton Cove JHS -> Huntsville HS

90

60

30

0
3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 10th 11th
*Note the difference in scale

Although I do not find either end result sufficient for my student's

school, it is apparent that not all schools are academically equal.
On the contrary, the data shows huge discrepancies between the
two systems. Paying close attention to the first and last entries, of
the 41% of Rolling Hills 3rd graders considered proficient in math
less than 1 of 10 of those students will meet the standard in 11th
grade; indeed at Jemison 3% of 11th graders are proficient in math,
but 85%+ of the students graduate. Hampton Cove, despite it's
wealth of resources, is unable to increase the rate of proficiency.
Of the 84% of students attending Hampton cove that are
considered proficient in Math, 1 out of 3 will not meet that criteria
upon leaving Hampton Cove JHS. Arguably the HS data for Hampton
Cove is skewed due to a mixed population. After all Hampton Cove
is 93% White and Huntsville HS is only 47%.
4SIGHT INC is dedicated to advocating for equitable access to a
world-class STEM education for all students PK-PHD.

We do not intend to push any narrative, or hold any bias. I admit

my bias is solely that the situation, as is, is unacceptable as a
parent of a student in the Huntsville City School System.