Discovery Middle

Q: Is Discovery Middle a good school?

Discovery Middle ranks 376 th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Discovery Middle is a public middle school located in Orlando, Florida, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 812 students. The school is part of the Orange County School District, which is ranked 31 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Discovery Middle consistently outperforms the Orange County and Florida state averages in various standardized test scores, including EOC/Algebra 1, EOC/Geometry, EOC/Civics, and Statewide Science/Science for 8th grade, with proficiency rates ranging from 79% to 100%. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.9% in 2019-2020 to 30.7% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average. Discovery Middle has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 31.4% White, 9.24% African American, 52.09% Hispanic, 3.69% Asian, and 3.33% two or more races, which is higher than some of the nearby schools like Liberty Middle and Roberto Clemente Middle.

Compared to nearby schools, Discovery Middle outperforms most in academic metrics, but some schools, such as Avalon Middle and Timber Springs Middle, also demonstrate strong academic performance. Discovery Middle's spending per student has increased from $8,983 in 2019-2020 to $10,482 in 2022-2023, which is higher than some nearby schools but lower than others, like Union Park Middle. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 40.15% to 52.59% over the past few years, which is higher than some nearby schools but lower than others.

Detail:

Public 6-8

601 Woodbury Rd
Orlando, FL 32828

(407) 384-1555

District: Orange

SchoolDigger Rank:
376^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,482

Students who attend Discovery Middle usually attend:

High:

Timber Creek High

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle:

Elementary:	Sunrise Elementary
	Waterford Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 787

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.6%

White:

30.4%

African American:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.9%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Discovery Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Middle ranks better than 68.6% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 13^th among 42 ranked middle schools in the Orange School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.97. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (50.6%), White (30.4%), African American (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Middle is 17.4, which is the 4^th best among 42 middle schools in the Orange School District. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Middle employs 45 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Middle is $10,482, which is the 10^th highest among 42 middle schools in the Orange School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Discovery Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Middle 376^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Discovery Middle in the ranking list.)

Orange:

SchoolDigger ranks Orange 31^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Middle

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	78.18	110^th	593	81.5%
2005	81.57	90^th	602	85.0%
2006	85.44	78^th	675	88.4%
2007	87.38	64^th	736	91.3%
2008	85.91	79^th	740	89.3%
2009	87.15	73^rd	780	90.6%
2010	87.14	73^rd	839	91.3%
2011	82.53	131^st	891	85.3%
2012	85.36	102^nd	897	88.6%
2013	86.64	92^nd	956	90.4%
2014	79.60	177^th	999	82.3%
2016	75.04	232^nd	997	76.7%
2017	74.04	252^nd	1031	75.6%
2018	65.73	332^nd	1035	67.9%
2019	67.99	325^th	1099	70.4%
2021	66.67	341^st	1136	70.0%
2022	64.92	359^th	1148	68.7%
2023	66.78	362^nd	1177	69.2%
2024	65.97	376^th	1196	68.6%

See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I went to dms and as a former explorer it is a great school with a safe learning environment. I learned a lot from the kind and helpful teachers and had a blast while there. this is an amazing school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Discovery Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	1563	121	84	416	7	n/a	n/a	0	2191
1999	799	127	31	319	3	n/a	n/a	0	1279
2000	941	151	43	416	7	n/a	n/a	0	1558
2001	1011	170	51	492	8	n/a	n/a	0	1732
2002	967	174	63	523	4	n/a	n/a	0	1731
2003	967	174	63	523	4	n/a	n/a	0	1731
2004	978	200	82	560	4	n/a	n/a	0	1824
2005	1041	252	89	680	3	n/a	n/a	0	2065
2006	963	176	90	431	5	n/a	n/a	0	1665
2007	567	100	54	287	5	n/a	n/a	16	1029
2008	543	90	62	275	2	n/a	n/a	13	985
2009	523	101	61	287	3	n/a	n/a	23	998
2010	509	97	48	262	1	n/a	n/a	22	939
2011	457	130	41	292	4	1	35	0	960
2012	435	108	36	275	2	2	32	0	890
2013	419	109	36	262	1	2	32	0	861
2014	428	176	41	273	1	1	34	0	954
2015	412	130	45	287	2	0	31	0	907
2016	396	88	51	316	3	1	31	0	886
2017	416	97	55	338	1	2	25	0	934
2018	394	85	54	378	1	4	25	0	941
2019	361	82	48	385	0	2	23	0	901
2020	312	77	42	417	0	3	24	0	875
2021	266	75	31	380	0	2	30	0	784
2022	243	76	39	401	0	2	31	0	792
2023	255	75	30	423	0	2	27	0	812
2024	239	86	36	398	1	2	25	0	787

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	2191	102.0	21.5	18.4
1999	1279	63.0	20.3	27.2
2000	1558	74.0	21.1	29.6
2001	1732	88.0	19.7	29.7
2002	1731	86.0	20.1	27
2003	1731	86.0	20.1	27
2004	1824	90.0	20.3	26.8
2005	2065	107.0	19.3	31.1
2006	1665	103.0	16.2	23.7
2007	1029	64.0	16.1	25.3
2008	985	62.0	15.9	23.4
2009	998	61.4	16.6	24.2
2010	939	55.0	17.0	29.2
2011	960	56.0	17.1	36.1
2012	890	55.0	16.1	30.9
2013	861	52.0	16.5	42.7
2014	954	52.0	18.3	42.9
2015	907	56.0	16.1	41.6
2016	886	52.0	17.0	43.1
2017	934	51.0	18.3	42.4
2018	941	54.0	17.4	40.7
2019	901	49.0	18.3	44.4
2020	875	47.0	18.6	49
2021	784	45.0	17.4	49
2022	792	45.0	17.6	40.2
2023	812	41.0	19.8	52.6
2024	787	45.0	17.4	38.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	2191	102.0	21.5	18.4
1999	1279	63.0	20.3	27.2
2000	1558	74.0	21.1	29.6
2001	1732	88.0	19.7	29.7
2002	1731	86.0	20.1	27
2003	1731	86.0	20.1	27
2004	1824	90.0	20.3	26.8
2005	2065	107.0	19.3	31.1
2006	1665	103.0	16.2	23.7
2007	1029	64.0	16.1	25.3
2008	985	62.0	15.9	23.4
2009	998	61.4	16.6	24.2
2010	939	55.0	17.0	29.2
2011	960	56.0	17.1	36.1
2012	890	55.0	16.1	30.9
2013	861	52.0	16.5	42.7
2014	954	52.0	18.3	42.9
2015	907	56.0	16.1	41.6
2016	886	52.0	17.0	43.1
2017	934	51.0	18.3	42.4
2018	941	54.0	17.4	40.7
2019	901	49.0	18.3	44.4
2020	875	47.0	18.6	49
2021	784	45.0	17.4	49
2022	792	45.0	17.6	40.2
2023	812	41.0	19.8	52.6
2024	787	45.0	17.4	38.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$211 (2.5%)	$8,083 (97.5%)	$8,294
2019	$266 (2.9%)	$8,971 (97.1%)	$9,238
2020	$377 (4.2%)	$8,606 (95.8%)	$8,983
2021	$904 (9.4%)	$8,758 (90.6%)	$9,662
2022	$1,456 (14.4%)	$8,662 (85.6%)	$10,117
2023	$1,660 (15.8%)	$8,823 (84.2%)	$10,482

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 325^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 362^nd of 1177 Middle schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle)	57	55	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	52	52
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle)	47	59	12%
6th Grade Mathematics (Orange)	43	47	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle)	61	48	13%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	48	46	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle)	63	63
7th Grade Mathematics (Orange)	49	50	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle)	70	54	16%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	54	47	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle)	47	44	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Orange)	36	38	2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Discovery Middle)	72	63	9%
8th Grade Science (Orange)	49	50	1%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Discovery Middle)	81	78	3%
End of Course Civics (Orange)	66	61	5%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Discovery Middle)	90	90
End of Course Algebra 1 (Orange)	63	51	12%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Discovery Middle)	99	98	1%
End of Course Geometry (Orange)	53	44	9%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	901	812	9.9%
African American	82	75	8.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	48	30	37.5%
Hispanic	385	423	9.9%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	361	255	29.4%
Two or More Races	23	27	17.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.4%	52.6%	8.2%

Schools Near Discovery Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Middle	Public	6-8	601 Woodbury Rd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 384-1555	787	45	17.4	38.9%	239 (30.4%)	86 (10.9%)	398 (50.6%)	36 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	25 (3.2%)	66	376^th of 1196 public middle schools	68.6%		66.8	362^nd of 1177 public middle schools	69.2%	14	57.0	55.0	60.0	68.0	44.0	71.0	60.0	98.0	100.0	79.0	$10,482	$1,660	$8,823
Legacy Middle	Public	6-8	11398 Lake Underhill Rd	Orlando	32825	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 658-5330	697	39	17.8	51.5%	122 (17.5%)	100 (14.3%)	408 (58.5%)	56 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.3%)	36	781^st of 1196 public middle schools	34.7%		34.6	781^st of 1177 public middle schools	33.6%		46.0	42.0	39.0	43.0	32.0	50.0	41.0	82.0		54.0	$11,050	$1,857	$9,194
Timber Springs Middle	Public	6-8	16001 Timber Park Ln	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(321) 413-2201	1,067	52	20.5	32.1%	328 (30.7%)	138 (12.9%)	486 (45.5%)	72 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.7%)	36 (3.4%)	74.2	277^th of 1196 public middle schools	76.8%		69.5	333^rd of 1177 public middle schools	71.7%	56	60.0	63.0	63.0	73.0	42.0	79.0	64.0	86.0	100.0	73.0	$9,586	$1,472	$8,114
Avalon Middle	Public	6-8	13914 Mailer Blvd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 207-7839	864	47	18.3	19.1%	371 (42.9%)	76 (8.8%)	314 (36.3%)	72 (8.3%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	25 (2.9%)	81.8	179^th of 1196 public middle schools	85.0%		83.4	163^rd of 1177 public middle schools	86.2%	16	74.0	71.0	60.0	75.0	50.0	86.0	68.0	100.0	100.0	82.0	$10,389	$1,629	$8,759
Union Park Middle	Public	6-8	1844 Westfall Dr	Orlando	32817	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 249-6309	667	36	18.5	71.7%	70 (10.5%)	120 (18.0%)	446 (66.9%)	19 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	8 (1.2%)	21.2	982^nd of 1196 public middle schools	17.9%		23.2	933^rd of 1177 public middle schools	20.7%	49	37.0	29.0	31.0	47.0	21.0	34.0	29.0	59.0	100.0	31.0	$12,575	$2,679	$9,896
Corner Lake Middle	Public	6-8	1700 Chuluota Rd	Orlando	32820	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 568-0510	781	43	18.1	54.7%	286 (36.6%)	63 (8.1%)	368 (47.1%)	32 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	25 (3.2%)	42.9	687^th of 1196 public middle schools	42.6%		46	622^nd of 1177 public middle schools	47.2%	65	43.0	46.0	45.0	55.0	24.0	51.0	47.0	85.0	90.0	52.0	$10,784	$1,388	$9,395
Liberty Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3405 S Chickasaw Trl	Orlando	32829	Orange County	Orange	No	Yes	No	Yes	(407) 249-6440	896	47	19.0	62.6%	98 (10.9%)	91 (10.2%)	675 (75.3%)	16 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	13 (1.5%)	34.1	804^th of 1196 public middle schools	32.8%		39.5	706^th of 1177 public middle schools	40.0%	98	41.0	36.0	43.0	44.0	29.0	49.0	43.0	50.0	100.0	47.0	$10,167	$2,165	$8,001
Odyssey Middle	Public	6-8	9290 Lee Vista Blvd	Orlando	32829	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 207-3850	674	39	17.2	48.4%	113 (16.8%)	77 (11.4%)	420 (62.3%)	44 (6.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	15 (2.2%)	56.7	496^th of 1196 public middle schools	58.5%		57.5	464^th of 1177 public middle schools	60.6%	32	55.0	59.0	55.0	53.0	24.0	56.0	57.0	88.0	93.0	67.0	$11,256	$1,892	$9,364
Roberto Clemente Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6000 Roberto Clemente Rd	Orlando	32807	Orange County	Orange	No	Yes	No	Yes	(407) 249-6430	858	48	17.8	60.8%	76 (8.9%)	112 (13.1%)	615 (71.7%)	40 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	13 (1.5%)	27.5	898^th of 1196 public middle schools	24.9%		25.9	896^th of 1177 public middle schools	23.9%	2	35.0	31.0	36.0	35.0	21.0	51.0	38.0	88.0	100.0	31.0	$9,748	$1,648	$8,100
Tuskawilla Middle School	Public	6-8	1801 Tuskawilla Rd	Oviedo	32765	Seminole County	Seminole	No	No	No	No	(407) 746-8550	1,078	58	18.7	52.2%	464 (43.0%)	130 (12.1%)	386 (35.8%)	45 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (4.9%)	52	559^th of 1196 public middle schools	53.3%		59	445^th of 1177 public middle schools	62.2%	114	51.0	49.0	43.0	49.0	69.0	35.0	51.0	82.0	93.0	71.0	$7,706	$703	$7,004

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Middle

How many students attend Discovery Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 787 students attended Discovery Middle.

What high school do graduates of Discovery Middle attend?

Students who attend Discovery Middle usually go on to attend Timber Creek High

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Middle?

Students at Discovery Middle are 51% Hispanic, 30% White, 11% African American, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Discovery Middle in?

Orange

Is Discovery Middle a good school?

Discovery Middle ranks 376^th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.