Discovery Middle School

Summary:

Discovery Middle School is a public middle school located in Liberty, Missouri, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 653 students. The school is part of the Liberty 53 school district, which is ranked 86 out of 376 districts in Missouri and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Discovery Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Missouri, with strong academic performance on state assessments that exceeds the state and district averages. The school's Algebra I proficiency rate is particularly impressive, with 86.6% of students scoring proficient or better, compared to 45.1% in the Liberty 53 district and 41.5% statewide. Additionally, Discovery Middle School has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of non-White students, and its performance on state assessments is strong across different racial subgroups.

Discovery Middle School also has a highly regarded gifted and talented program, ranking 9th out of 48 Missouri middle schools in 2022-2023. While the school excels in many areas, it faces some challenges with its special education and low socioeconomic status (SES) student populations, with lower rankings for these subgroups compared to its overall performance. The school's leadership should continue to focus on addressing the needs of these students to ensure equitable opportunities for all learners.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 800 Midjay Drive
       Liberty, MO  64068-3162


(816) 736-7300

District: Liberty 53

SchoolDigger Rank:
85th of 459 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,634 Help


Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually attend:

High:    Liberty High

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle School:

Elementary:    Liberty Oaks Elementary
    Shoal Creek Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  13.1 Help
Number of students:  653

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.4%
Hispanic:
9.5%
Two or more races:
7.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Discovery Middle School ranks better than 81.5% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks first among 4 ranked middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.78. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72.4%), Hispanic (9.5%), two or more races (7.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 16.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Liberty 53 School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 13.1, which is the 2nd best among 4 middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Discovery Middle School employs 49.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Middle School is $12,634, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District!
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Discovery Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Middle School 85th of 459 Missouri 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:
Gifted and Talented students:
White students:


Liberty 53:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty 53 86th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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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 MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 90.61 24th 585 95.9%
2016 94.94 7th 435 98.4%
2017 92.32 12th 568 97.9%
2018 85.81 41st 552 92.6%
2019 87.11 36th 587 93.9%
2021 83.41 49th 454 89.2%
2022 75.57 85th 459 81.5%
2023 74.78 85th 459 81.5%
See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 59.70 34th 98 65.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri 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 MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.08 159th 192 17.2%
See the entire list of Best Missouri 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 MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.00 203rd 422 51.9%
2019 62.04 135th 482 72.0%
2021 29.69 296th 371 20.2%
2022 27.64 293rd 365 19.7%
2023 32.73 289th 382 24.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.87 23rd 162 85.8%
2019 69.56 43rd 204 78.9%
2021 45.43 95th 195 51.3%
2022 52.67 79th 187 57.8%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.25 9th 104 91.3%
2019 75.59 5th 121 95.9%
2022 82.69 2nd 44 95.5%
2023 74.19 9th 48 81.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 62.40 21st 38 44.7%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.64 40th 129 69.0%
2019 76.08 22nd 149 85.2%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.37 35th 96 63.5%
2019 79.24 14th 130 89.2%
2022 48.10 33rd 78 57.7%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.11 32nd 479 93.3%
2019 86.91 37th 527 93.0%
2021 81.38 45th 376 88.0%
2022 74.23 72nd 381 81.1%
2023 74.85 68th 385 82.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.

Discovery Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2014 496 43 26 32 6 1 7 0 611
2015 540 42 34 29 5 0 8 0 658
2016 555 30 32 35 4 0 5 0 661
2017 608 30 28 33 4 0 7 0 710
2018 570 36 28 40 5 0 20 0 699
2019 579 45 30 39 3 0 25 0 721
2020 542 37 31 58 1 0 50 0 719
2021 540 35 30 56 0 0 51 0 712
2022 511 26 21 63 0 3 53 0 677
2023 473 34 30 62 0 4 50 0 653

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 611 41.9 14.5 13.9
2015 658 44.0 14.9 12.9
2016 661 48.0 13.7 12
2017 710 48.8 14.5 14.4
2018 699 46.6 14.9 12.2
2019 721 47.9 15.0 12.9
2020 719 49.9 14.4 16.3
2021 712 50.2 14.1 15.6
2022 677 48.7 13.8 13
2023 653 49.7 13.1 16.8

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 611 41.9 14.5 13.9
2015 658 44.0 14.9 12.9
2016 661 48.0 13.7 12
2017 710 48.8 14.5 14.4
2018 699 46.6 14.9 12.2
2019 721 47.9 15.0 12.9
2020 719 49.9 14.4 16.3
2021 712 50.2 14.1 15.6
2022 677 48.7 13.8 13
2023 653 49.7 13.1 16.8

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $365 (3.5%) $9,990 (96.5%) $10,355
2020 $432 (3.6%) $11,640 (96.4%) $12,072
2021 $530 (4.5%) $11,158 (95.5%) $11,688
2022 $754 (6.0%) $11,880 (94.0%) $12,634

Data source: Missouri 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 36th of 587 Middle schoolsRanks 85th of 459 Middle schools
 12.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)67.554.3
 13.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)52.750.4
 2.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)42.543.7
 1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)69.550
 19.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)6249.4
 12.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)45.937.5
 8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)6346.6
 16.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)50.440.2
 10.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)3839.5
 1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)62.547.3
 15.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)56.244.4
 11.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)43.637.3
 6.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)44.324
 20.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)3327
 6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)2930
 1%
8th Grade Science (Discovery Middle School)53.641.8
 11.8%
   8th Grade Science (Liberty 53)55.742.8
 12.9%
   8th Grade Science (Missouri)43.737.8
 5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)60.855.6
 5.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)58.351.6
 6.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)47.342.7
 4.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Discovery Middle School)84.786.6
 1.9%
   End of Course Algebra I (Liberty 53)51.945.1
 6.8%
   End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)45.341.5
 3.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students721653
 9.4%
African American4534
 24.4%
American Indian30
 100%
Asian3030
Hispanic3962
 59%
Pacific Islander04
White579473
 18.3%
Two or More Races2550
 100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients12.9%16.8%
 3.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Middle School

Students at Discovery Middle School are 72% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% African American, 5% Asian.

Discovery Middle School ranks 85th of 459 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 653 students attended Discovery Middle School.

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually go on to attend Liberty High


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





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