Georgetown’s middle school ranked top 100 in Ohio

Georgetown Jr./Sr. High School Principal Jerry Underwood is pleased to announce that the school district’s middle school has recently been ranked in the top 100 of best middle schools in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report.

State assessment data is used to determine how most middle schools fare in the rankings, according to information on www.usnews.com.

Of 2,446 Ohio middle schools, Georgetown ranked 100th among middle schools with an overall score of 89.87 out of 100. At Georgetown, 57 percent of middle school students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 67 percent scored at or above that level for reading, based on information provided by usnews.com.

“We have always thought that our teachers have done a tremendous job based on their situation and our socioeconomic status,” said Underwood. “Being in the top 100 of that many middle schools is a great accomplishment for us.”

“It was based on proficiency and performance,” Underwood said of the top 100 ranking for Georgetown’s middle school by U.S. News.

Georgetown’s middle school ranked as the top in Brown County in recent U.S. News rankings, a school that has around 27 full-time educators and one full-time counselor for a 17:1 student-teacher ratio.

According to Underwood, Georgetown Jr./Sr. High School overall earned four of five stars in the Ohio Report Cards rating.

Schools are ranked by U.S. News on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare their students for high school.

The rankings showed that Georgetown’s middle school was “Well above expectations” in both reading performance and math performance.

Of the top middle schools ranked in Ohio, Georgetown’s middle school ranked No. 173 in reading proficiency and No. 125 in math proficiency.

“Our teachers do a really good job of collaborating,” said Underwood. “When they meet and talk about students, they are really breaking down how well students have been proficient, because their scores follow.”

Georgetown Jr./Sr. High School focuses on the educational growth of students, striving for improvement from one year to the next.

“Our staff is very driven and very concerned about their students,” said Georgetown Jr./Sr. High School counselor, Bethany Fitzpatrick. “The middle school teachers are very dedicated to their kids – pushing them, but also being very caring.”

“They know that the teachers are willing to help them and they know that they care about them, and that’s what I think makes a big difference,” said Fitzpatrick.

Not only does Georgetown Jr./Sr. High School place strong focus on student progress in the classroom, but they also take steps to improve the lives of students who may be struggling at home – providing food to students on weekends and sending food home, helping to provide some students with needed clothing, handing out Christmas gifts to underprivileged students, and providing in-house counseling in addition to its regular school counselors.

Addressing student needs that exist outside of school can help a student place more focus on achieving their academic goals.

“There are a lot things we are doing to get students ready to learn before that (learning) process takes place,” said Underwood. “It’s a huge joint effort from everybody’s standpoint.”