Is Discovery Middle School a good school?

Discovery Middle School ranks 119 th of 545 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Discovery Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 874 students attended Discovery Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Middle School?

Students at Discovery Middle School are 87% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Discovery Middle School attend?

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually go on to attend Alexandria Area High School

Discovery Middle School

Summary:

Discovery Middle School is a public middle school located in Alexandria, Minnesota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 913 students. The school is part of the Alexandria Public School District, which is ranked 101 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Discovery Middle School consistently ranks in the top 25% of Minnesota middle schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in MCA-III Math and Reading assessments are generally higher than the state averages, particularly in 6th and 7th grades. However, the school's performance in MCA-III Science assessments is lower than the state average, with only 34.71% of students proficient or better. Female students at Discovery Middle School consistently outperform male students, ranking in the top 25% of Minnesota middle schools for female students. Hispanic and White students at Discovery Middle School perform better than the state averages for their respective subgroups, but students with special education needs and low socioeconomic status students perform below the state averages.

Interestingly, nearby schools like Minnewaska Area Intermediate School and Minnewaska Area Junior High, both part of the Minnewaska School District, as well as Brandon-Evansville Middle School, part of the Brandon-Evansville Public Schools district, have higher proficiency rates in MCA-III Math and Reading assessments compared to Discovery Middle School. Additionally, the racial makeup of Discovery Middle School is significantly less diverse compared to the state average, with a predominance of white students, which may impact the school's ability to address the needs of minority student populations.

Detail:

Public 6-8

510 N McKay Ave
Alexandria, MN 56308-8888

(320) 762-7900

District: Alexandria Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
119^th of 545 Minnesota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,711

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually attend:

High:

Alexandria Area High School

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle School:

Elementary:	Carlos Elementary
	Garfield Elementary
	Lincoln Elementary
	Miltona Elementary
	More...
	Voyager Elementary
	Woodland Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 874

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.2%

Hispanic:

5.5%

Two or more races:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.6%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Discovery Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Middle School ranks better than 78.2% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.38. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87.2%), Hispanic (5.5%), two or more races (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Middle School employs 58.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Middle School is $10,711.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Middle School 119^th of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Discovery Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Alexandria Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Alexandria Public School District 101^st of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Discovery Middle School?

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Rank History for Discovery Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	89.11	16^th	387	95.9%
2005	80.95	50^th	396	87.4%
2006	83.13	39^th	406	90.4%
2007	80.17	53^rd	403	86.8%
2008	79.40	50^th	409	87.8%
2009	74.13	42^nd	230	81.7%
2010	73.59	89^th	454	80.4%
2011	74.19	96^th	478	79.9%
2012	77.18	70^th	469	85.1%
2013	83.32	46^th	488	90.6%
2014	81.86	57^th	490	88.4%
2015	80.19	67^th	516	87.0%
2016	80.32	64^th	508	87.4%
2017	82.19	63^rd	523	88.0%
2018	78.98	78^th	518	84.9%
2019	79.94	72^nd	533	86.5%
2021	79.81	76^th	521	85.4%
2022	69.77	129^th	520	75.2%
2023	69.13	138^th	529	73.9%
2024	73.38	119^th	545	78.2%

See the entire list of Minnesota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.94	89^th	114	21.9%
2021	62.08	30^th	97	69.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	56.98	100^th	253	60.5%
2019	47.73	148^th	282	47.5%
2021	46.11	133^rd	260	48.8%
2022	22.45	238^th	288	17.4%
2023	30.08	220^th	298	26.2%
2024	28.60	239^th	307	22.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	77.46	54^th	401	86.5%
2019	79.30	49^th	415	88.2%
2021	77.95	35^th	399	91.2%
2022	52.94	175^th	404	56.7%
2023	59.73	145^th	459	68.4%
2024	54.40	184^th	473	61.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	76.27	79^th	436	81.9%
2019	80.36	58^th	439	86.8%
2021	75.65	70^th	443	84.2%
2022	67.78	119^th	467	74.5%
2023	68.99	113^th	455	75.2%
2024	72.44	102^nd	474	78.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	77.55	68^th	438	84.5%
2019	74.95	98^th	454	78.4%
2021	76.81	81^st	437	81.5%
2022	66.08	142^nd	476	70.2%
2023	64.25	145^th	464	68.8%
2024	68.64	124^th	479	74.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	58.16	54^th	163	66.9%
2019	41.06	95^th	171	44.4%
2022	55.66	69^th	188	63.3%
2023	38.13	107^th	178	39.9%
2024	37.93	115^th	186	38.2%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	69.47	102^nd	428	76.2%
2019	69.32	101^st	428	76.4%
2021	67.59	107^th	422	74.6%
2022	54.59	180^th	438	58.9%
2023	54.80	189^th	436	56.7%
2024	60.65	149^th	440	66.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	779	1	16	3	1	n/a	n/a	800
1989	822	1	13	3	2	n/a	n/a	841
1990	859	2	10	7	1	n/a	n/a	879
1991	916	1	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	930
1992	984	0	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	996
1993	1066	0	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	1072
1994	1052	2	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	1060
1995	1085	5	7	7	2	n/a	n/a	1106
1996	1085	5	7	7	2	n/a	n/a	1106
1997	1100	2	8	6	2	n/a	n/a	1118
1998	1064	1	8	5	2	n/a	n/a	1080
1999	1066	1	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	1078
2000	1059	4	10	4	1	n/a	n/a	1078
2001	1030	6	9	5	3	n/a	n/a	1053
2002	1058	8	4	8	3	n/a	n/a	1081
2003	1058	8	4	8	3	n/a	n/a	1081
2004	1055	7	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	1075
2005	1002	11	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	1024
2006	938	20	6	8	1	n/a	n/a	973
2007	895	16	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	926
2008	868	16	12	7	4	n/a	n/a	907
2009	854	17	11	3	7	n/a	n/a	892
2010	841	14	8	7	5	n/a	n/a	875
2011	812	12	7	10	8	0	1	850
2012	859	13	7	14	7	0	3	903
2013	877	18	3	7	5	0	3	913
2014	904	14	5	11	3	0	7	944
2015	828	9	13	20	7	0	17	894
2016	856	7	17	25	5	0	20	930
2017	867	9	20	22	2	0	29	949
2018	914	9	15	35	1	0	26	1000
2019	919	8	7	31	1	0	25	991
2020	923	5	3	33	0	0	30	994
2021	910	5	7	32	1	0	31	986
2022	882	3	7	53	3	0	26	974
2023	815	4	10	43	5	1	35	913
2024	762	10	9	48	3	1	41	874

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	800	51.6	15.5	21.3
1989	841	53.4	15.7	17
1990	879	54.9	16.0	14.3
1991	930	55.0	16.9	14.6
1992	996	63.6	15.6	13.3
1993	1072	62.0	17.3	14.6
1994	1060	62.4	17.0	13.9
1995	1106	60.9	18.2	12.7
1996	1106	60.9	18.2	12.7
1997	1118	64.6	17.3	10.6
1998	1080	n/a	0.0	11.9
1999	1078	65.6	16.4	10.9
2000	1078	60.2	17.9	21.9
2001	1053	63.7	16.5	21.5
2002	1081	61.9	17.5	22.9
2003	1081	61.9	17.5	22.9
2004	1075	66.8	16.1	21.6
2005	1024	62.4	16.4	22.1
2006	973	62.8	15.5	23.3
2007	926	59.1	15.7	23.7
2008	907	60.8	14.9	22.7
2009	892	59.9	14.9	24.1
2010	875	57.9	15.1	24.6
2011	850	57.2	14.8	27.8
2012	903	53.0	17.0	30.3
2013	913	50.7	17.9	31
2014	944	50.6	18.6	32.2
2015	894	51.0	17.5	30.5
2016	930	54.0	17.2	28.3
2017	949	53.8	17.6	28
2018	1000	55.6	17.9	30
2019	991	54.9	18.0	26.3
2020	994	n/a	n/a	26.4
2021	986	42.7	23.0	22.5
2022	974	56.6	17.2	23
2023	913	60.2	15.1	34.5
2024	874	58.2	14.9	34.6

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	800	51.6	15.5	21.3
1989	841	53.4	15.7	17
1990	879	54.9	16.0	14.3
1991	930	55.0	16.9	14.6
1992	996	63.6	15.6	13.3
1993	1072	62.0	17.3	14.6
1994	1060	62.4	17.0	13.9
1995	1106	60.9	18.2	12.7
1996	1106	60.9	18.2	12.7
1997	1118	64.6	17.3	10.6
1998	1080	n/a	0.0	11.9
1999	1078	65.6	16.4	10.9
2000	1078	60.2	17.9	21.9
2001	1053	63.7	16.5	21.5
2002	1081	61.9	17.5	22.9
2003	1081	61.9	17.5	22.9
2004	1075	66.8	16.1	21.6
2005	1024	62.4	16.4	22.1
2006	973	62.8	15.5	23.3
2007	926	59.1	15.7	23.7
2008	907	60.8	14.9	22.7
2009	892	59.9	14.9	24.1
2010	875	57.9	15.1	24.6
2011	850	57.2	14.8	27.8
2012	903	53.0	17.0	30.3
2013	913	50.7	17.9	31
2014	944	50.6	18.6	32.2
2015	894	51.0	17.5	30.5
2016	930	54.0	17.2	28.3
2017	949	53.8	17.6	28
2018	1000	55.6	17.9	30
2019	991	54.9	18.0	26.3
2020	994	n/a	n/a	26.4
2021	986	42.7	23.0	22.5
2022	974	56.6	17.2	23
2023	913	60.2	15.1	34.5
2024	874	58.2	14.9	34.6

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 School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,711

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle School

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 72^nd of 533 Middle schools	Ranks 138^th of 529 Middle schools	12.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Discovery Middle School)	71.5	52.6	19%
6th Grade Math (Alexandria Public School District)	71.5	52.6	19%
6th Grade Math (Minnesota)	50.5	39.7	10.8%
6th Grade Reading (Discovery Middle School)	77.5	61.4	16.1%
6th Grade Reading (Alexandria Public School District)	77.5	61.4	16.1%
6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	62.8	53.4	9.4%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Middle School)	60.8	46.8	14%
7th Grade Math (Alexandria Public School District)	60.8	46.8	14%
7th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52.1	39.7	12.4%
7th Grade Reading (Discovery Middle School)	60.5	44.6	15.9%
7th Grade Reading (Alexandria Public School District)	60.5	44.6	15.9%
7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.5	45.2	12.3%
8th Grade Math (Discovery Middle School)	69.7	54.2	15.5%
8th Grade Math (Alexandria Public School District)	69.7	54.2	15.5%
8th Grade Math (Minnesota)	55.2	40.3	14.9%
8th Grade Reading (Discovery Middle School)	64.5	39	25.5%
8th Grade Reading (Alexandria Public School District)	64.5	39	25.5%
8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.7	44.8	12.9%
8th Grade Science (Discovery Middle School)	48	26.7	21.3%
8th Grade Science (Alexandria Public School District)	48	26.7	21.3%
8th Grade Science (Minnesota)	43	27.6	15.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	991	913	7.9%
African American	8	4	50%
American Indian	1	5	400%
Asian	7	10	42.9%
Hispanic	31	43	38.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	919	815	11.3%
Two or More Races	25	35	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.3%	34.5%	8.2%

Schools Near Discovery Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)						MCA-III Reading (2024)						MCA-III Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	510 N McKay Ave	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 762-7900	874	58	14.9	34.6%	762 (87.2%)	10 (1.1%)	48 (5.5%)	9 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.7%)	73.4	119^th of 545 public middle schools	78.2%		69.1	138^th of 529 public middle schools	73.9%	19			51.2	51.3	48.8	50.4			62.7	53.9	39.0	51.5		34.7	34.7	$10,711
Middle Level Learning Center	Public	7-8	700 Northside Drive NE	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Runestone Area Education District	No	No	No	No	(320) 762-0627	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Brandon-Evansville Middle School	Public	6-8	206 West 3rd Street	Brandon	56315	Douglas County	Brandon-Evansville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(218) 948-2241	137	5	25.4	32.1%	130 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.4%)	79.9	74^th of 545 public middle schools	86.4%		66.1	158^th of 529 public middle schools	70.1%	84			59.2	53.5	69.8	60.7			59.2	46.5	55.0	53.8		34.9	34.9	$8,416
Minnewaska Area Intermediate School	Public	4-6	25122 State Hwy 28	Glenwood	56334	Pope County	Minnewaska School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 239-4800	303	12	25.2	31.7%	282 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)								(n/a)	74.7	50.9	63.3			62.5	64.2	66.4	81.6			70.7	72.9		72.9	$8,440
Minnewaska Area Junior High	Public	7-8	25122 State Hwy 28	Glenwood	56334	Pope County	Minnewaska School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 239-4800	205	14	14.4	30.2%	196 (95.6%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	65.5	166^th of 545 public middle schools	69.5%		71	122^nd of 529 public middle schools	76.9%	44				52.4	63.4	57.8				34.0	42.6	38.2		30.0	30.0	$3,060

Discovery Middle School

Discovery Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Alexandria Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Discovery Middle School

Rank History for all students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Discovery Middle School