From Tribune Staff Reports
The Alabama State Department of Education released its 2025 school report cards, showing mixed performance trends among Jefferson County high schools in The Tribune’s coverage area. Overall scores shifted slightly across the four high schools — Center Point, Pinson Valley, Clay-Chalkville, and Shades Valley — with some showing improvement while others declined from the previous year.
Shades Valley High School, which also houses the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate program, earned the highest score among the four schools for the second year. The school received a 75 for 2025, down from 78 the previous year. Academic Achievement declined from 47.81 to 44.88, and Academic Growth dipped from 85.54 to 77.33. The school posted a 92.53 percent graduation rate, slightly lower than 93.09 last year. College and career readiness remained strong at 85.77 percent.
The Shades Valley feeder pattern includes Irondale Middle School, JCIB Middle, Grantswood Community School, and Irondale Community School.
Pinson Valley High School scored a 66 for 2025, a slight increase from 65 last year. Academic Achievement rose from 16.93 to 19.34, and College and Career Readiness improved from 82.26 percent to 85.04 percent. However, Academic Growth declined from 62.61 to 29.27, representing one of the largest drops in the area. The school remained above 93 percent in graduation rate last year but did not report a change for 2025.
Pinson Valley is a targeted support and improvement school. Its feeder pattern includes Rudd Middle School, Johnson Elementary, and Pinson Elementary.
Center Point High School increased its score from 67 last year to 69 in 2025. The school remains a high-poverty, Title I school. Academic Growth improved from 68.61 to 71.08, while Academic Achievement remained low at 13.38, compared to 13.55 last year. Its graduation rate rose from 90.22 percent to 89.8 percent, remaining near 90 percent. ELA proficiency, however, fell from 6.58 percent to 4.49 percent.
Feeder schools for Center Point include Erwin Middle School, Erwin Intermediate, and Center Point Elementary.
Clay-Chalkville High School dropped slightly from 62 last year to 61 in 2025. Academic Achievement remained steady at 15.96 compared to 16.09 last year. Academic Growth declined from 64.56 to 63.01. The graduation rate was nearly unchanged at 85.55 percent, compared to 85.32 the previous year. College and Career Readiness, however, rose from 63.91 percent to 71.98 percent. ELA proficiency improved from 7.79 percent to 6.6 percent.
Clay-Chalkville’s feeder pattern includes Clay-Chalkville Middle School, Clay Elementary, Chalkville Elementary, and Bryant Park Elementary.
The Alabama report card system uses a combination of student proficiency, academic growth, graduation data, and college and career readiness to produce overall school scores.
