How strong are the public middle schools in Virginia Beach?
With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — which include comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year and those that lead their peers.
Bayside 6th Grade Campus's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in Virginia Beach, rising from a B- to a B+, according to data from Niche.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 4722 Jericho Road, enrolls 344 students. Bayside 6th Grade Campus serves a diverse population: 63% of students identify as black and 18% identify as white. Niche graded the school a B+ for academics (on an A-D scale).
The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.
Academically, 81% of Bayside 6th Grade Campus's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 71% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 63% in math and 83% in reading. The school's improved overall rating is notable in that it serves a less-affluent population, with 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 29% more than the city average.
It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Plaza Middle School saw its overall rating improve from a B+ to an A-. The school is located at 3080 S. Lynnhaven Road and is much larger, currently serving 1,073 students, of whom 47% identify as white, 26% identify as black and 11% identify as Hispanic.
Niche graded Plaza Middle School a B+ for academics on an A-D scale. The school's latest math proficiency was at 66%, and reading proficiency was 83%.
Salem Middle School also saw improvement in its overall rating, from A- to A. The school is located at 2380 Lynnhaven Parkway and has 1,052 students currently enrolled, of whom 33% identify as white, 28% identify as black and 14% identify as multiracial.
Niche graded Salem Middle School an A- for academics on an A-D scale. Its latest math proficiency was at 75%, and reading proficiency was 85%.
While some public middle schools in Virginia Beach are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:
- Great Neck Middle School, with an overall rating of A-.
- Virginia Beach Middle School, with an A- rating overall.
- Landstown Middle School, rated B+ overall.
Want more of the latest intel on Virginia Beach schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's public elementary schools.
This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
