The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Russell Middle School
Russell Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Colorado Springs School District 11, the largest and oldest district in the city. The school sits in a residential neighborhood in the eastern part of Colorado Springs, a sprawling, car-dependent city shaped by its military installations, aerospace and defense sector, and tourism economy. The district itself has made recent investments: it raised starting teacher pay, cut the number of its lowest-rated schools roughly in half, and launched a scholarship program with Pikes Peak State College that lets high school students take college courses at no cost. For a middle school family, those moves signal a district that is trying to stabilize staffing and expand early college access, though the direct effect on day-to-day middle school experience depends on how those changes reach the classroom level.
Enrollment is balanced across the three grades, with roughly equal numbers of students in each. The student body is diverse: the largest group is white, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, then students who identify as two or more races, Black students, and smaller shares of Asian, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community where economic need is widespread. The school is not a charter or magnet, and information about Title I status, special education, and English learner counts was not available in the data reviewed.
State testing results for the most recent year show that the share of students meeting or exceeding standards in math, English language arts, and science is modest. In math, just over a quarter of students reached the proficient level; in English language arts, roughly a third did; and in science, about three in ten did. These are low absolute rates, and a parent would want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet at grade level, as well as how it challenges those who are. At the same time, the school’s combined performance across all tested subjects falls above the midpoint when compared with the districts in El Paso County, meaning it is doing better than many of its peers in the county, even if the overall numbers are not high. Participation rates on the assessments were high, suggesting strong compliance with testing.
The available data does not include graduation rates—that measure does not apply to a middle school—nor does it include chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access. Information about specific programs, such as electives, advanced courses, or extracurricular offerings, was not present in the data consulted. Families who want to understand the full student experience would need to look beyond the test scores to see what the school offers in music, art, technology, athletics, and other enrichment areas.
The housing market in the immediate area shows home values that are below the state average, and rents are moderate relative to the region. The neighborhood is predominantly auto-oriented, with commercial corridors along major arterials, though some walkable nodes exist in other parts of the city. The school’s location in a large, growing metropolitan area means families have access to the array of civic and cultural anchors that Colorado Springs offers—the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, the Olympic Training Center, and a downtown museum district—but the school itself is a typical mid-sized middle school serving a high-need population with academic results that are a clear area of focus for the district.
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