These 10 public middle schools were named the best in Kentucky, and 2 are in Lexington
Two Lexington middle schools recently made a list of the top 10 best public middle schools in Kentucky, according to Niche, a site offering data on schools and colleges.
Niche creates ratings based on reviews and data. Sources include the U.S. Department of Education, Common Core Data, Civil Rights Data Collection and others.
The Best Public Middle Schools ranking uses the following methodology:
The academics grade is based on state assessments and student/parent surveys (worth 50% of overall grade)
The teachers grade is based on educator salary, teacher absenteeism, state test results and survey responses (20% of overall grade)
The district overall Niche grade is based on “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data along with millions of reviews from students and parents,” Niche says. (15% of overall grade)
The culture and diversity grade is based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses (10% of overall grade)
Parent/teacher surveys on overall experience make up 5% of the overall grade.
Here’s how the top 10 public middle schools in Kentucky compared, via Niche:
10. Woodford County Middle School
Location: Versailles, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, A- diversity
More than 980 students in sixth to eighth grade attend Woodford County Middle School, which has a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1, according to Niche.
State test scores show 67% of students are at least proficient in math and 72% are proficient in reading.
9. Highlands Middle School
Location: Fort Thomas, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A teachers, C+ diversity
Highlands Middle School is home to 767 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1, Niche reports.
Math proficiency is at 68%, while 78% of Highlands Middle School students are at least proficient in reading.
8. Beaumont Middle School
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, A diversity
Beaumont Middle School has 854 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1, according to Niche.
Reading proficiency is at 73% and math proficiency is at 65%.
The Kentucky Department of Education School Report Card gave Beaumont Middle School a “green” designation for the 2021-22 school year, putting it in the second-highest performance category.
7. East Oldham Middle School
Location: Crestwood, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, C+ diversity
East Oldham Middle School has 635 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1, Niche reports.
Math proficiency is at 71%, and 74% of East Oldham Middle School students are proficient in reading.
6. Boyle County Middle School
Location: Danville, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, B- diversity
More than 645 students attend Boyle County Middle School, which has a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
State test scores show 71% of students are proficient in math, and 75% are proficient in reading.
5. North Oldham Middle School
Location: Goshen, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, B- diversity
North Oldham Middle School has 763 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1, according to Niche.
Math proficiency is at 75%, and reading proficiency is at 81%.
4. J. Graham Brown School
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, B+ teachers, A- diversity
J. Graham Brown is a magnet school teaching 753 students K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.
Math proficiency is at 82%, and 88% of J. Graham Brown students are proficient in reading.
3. School for the Creative & Performing Arts at Bluegrass
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, B+ diversity
More than 270 students attend this magnet school in Lexington, which has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1, according to Niche.
Math proficiency is at 86%, and reading proficiency is at 95%.
The School for the Creative & Performing Arts at Bluegrass received the highest performance designation in the 2021-22 Kentucky School Report Card.
2. Murray Middle School
Location: Murray, Ky.
Grades: A overall, A academics, A+ teachers, B+ diversity
Murray Middle School has 696 students in grades four through eight, and its student-teacher ratio is 17 to 1, according to Niche.
Math proficiency is at 72%, while reading proficiency is at 79%.
1. Anchorage Independent Public School
Location: Anchorage, Ky.
Grades: A+ overall, A+ academics, A+ teachers, C+ diversity
More than 380 students attend Anchorage Independent Public School, which has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1, according to Niche.
State test scores show 84% of students are proficient in math and 88% are proficient in reading.
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