Hoover City Schools state report card grade rises 2 points to 95

by

The Hoover City Schools district earned a 95 on its 2024 report card released from the Alabama Department of Education on Friday, up from a 93 the year before.

All 16 of Hoover's schools showed either improvement or the same score as the year before, with Green Valley Elementary showing the most improvement with its overall score rising from a 91 to a 98. Six Hoover schools scored a 99 — Brock’s Gap Intermediate and Bluff Park, Deer Valley, Greystone, Shades Mountain and South Shades Crest elementary schools.

Hoover schools scored in the top 8.5% of school districts statewide, according to a district press release. Only 38 schools across the state earned a 99 or 100.

Other Hoover schools showing increases this year were Berry Middle School (from 92 to 95), Brock’s Gap Intermediate (98 to 99), Gwin Elementary (94 to 95), Simmons Middle (92 to 93), Riverchase Elementary (96 to 97), South Shades Crest Elementary (98 to 99) and Trace Crossings Elementary (94 to 96).

The only Hoover school below 90 was Hoover High, where the score remained stable at 89.

"Achieving our highest-ever score on the state report card is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our teachers, staff, students and families,” Hoover schools Superintendent Kevin Maddox said in a press release. “This record-breaking score of 95 reflects not only our dedication to academic growth, but also the culture of excellence within Hoover City Schools. While celebrating this success, we will remain focused on continuous improvement to ensure every student reaches their academic potential.”

The overall score takes into account a variety of things, including academic achievement, academic growth, graduation rates, attendance and college and career readiness.

The Hoover district’s academic achievement score increased slightly from 89.32 ro 90.85. All demographic groups — whites, Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and students with limited English proficiency — saw their academic achievement scores rise.

The graduation rate for the district climbed from 92.58% to 94.76%. The graduation rate for white students climbed from 95% to 97%, while the graduation rate for Black students increased from 88% to 95%, and the graduation rate for Asian students rose from 97% to 98%. The graduation rate for Hispanic/Latino students fell from 95% to 88%, and the graduation rate for students with limited English proficiency fell from 74% to 70%. The gradation rate for economically disadvantaged students rose from 83% to 89%.

The percentage of Hoover students leaving high school who were deemed ready for college or a career increased from 85% to 91%. College and career readiness scores increased from 93% to 95% among Asians, 92% to 97% among whites, 70% to 82% among Blacks, 69% to 78% among economically disadvantaged students and 36% to 37% among students with limited English proficiency. The college and career readiness rate fell among Hispanic/Latino students from 80% to 68%.

Attendance improved slightly in the 2023-24 school year, with chronic absenteeism falling from 8.48% to 7.95%.

The state report card also indicated the Hoover school district’s overall enrollment from 13,505 students in the 2022-23 school year to 13,268 in the 2023-24 school year.

Demographically, the student population is 61% white, 23% Black, 8% Asian and 6% of two or more races — very similar to the year before. Meanwhile, the percentage of students with Hispanic/Latino heritage rose from 9.4% to 10.3%. The percentage of students with limited English proficiency increased from 7.1% to 8.4%, while the percentage of students with disabilities stayed the same at about 14%. The percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged also stayed roughly the same at 34%.

About 56% of the Hoover district’s faculty have a master’s degree, while 10% have higher than a master’s degree and 31% have a bachelor’s degree, according to state data. About 85% of Hoover’s faculty are white, while 11% are Black and almost 1% are Hispanic, state data shows.

Here's a link to the full state report card for the Hoover City Schools district.

Here are links to the state report cards for individual Hoover schools:

Editor's note: This story was updated to correct information about state report card data. An earlier version of this story showed data from the federal report card, which was also listed on the Alabama Department of Education website. The state and federal report cards have differences in what they measure.