Roton Middle School, Norwalk CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Roton Middle School

Roton Middle School serves about 450 students in grades 6 through 8 in Norwalk, a mixed-use coastal city where neighborhoods define identity more than a unified downtown. The school draws from across the city: a substantial majority of its students are Hispanic, with the next largest group white; about half qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and together these two factors point to a school serving economically and ethnically diverse families across Norwalk's many residential areas.

Academically, Roton's performance sits in the bottom quartile relative to districts in the Western Connecticut Planning Region. When proficiency rates are averaged across tested subjects and grade levels, Roton falls well below the regional median. In English language arts, results are better in grade 8 (about half of students meet proficiency) than in grades 6 and 7 (around 48 percent and 46 percent respectively). Math proficiency is lower across the board, ranging from roughly 39 to 43 percent in grades 6 through 8. Grade 8 science proficiency stands around 55 percent. These numbers reflect a school where a majority of students have not yet met state proficiency benchmarks; a parent weighing Roton may want to look into further what supports the school offers for students working toward grade-level standards, and what acceleration pathways exist for those already there.

Test participation rates are strong, running above 96 percent across grades and subjects, suggesting the school administers its assessments with few exclusions. The data provided does not show multi-year trend lines or comparative growth, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving, stable, or declining.

Norwalk is in the midst of significant school infrastructure change. A brand new high school and P-TECH building are under construction and expected to open in fall 2027. The district opened Cranbury Elementary in 2023 and is opening South Norwalk School for the 2025-26 year, the first new neighborhood school in that part of the city in over a generation. These are lasting developments that reshape school assignments and commute patterns for families. The district also secured a five-year federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant to strengthen three magnet schools with school-choice lotteries: Kendall College & Career Academy (K-5), Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy (grades 6-8), and P-TECH Norwalk (grades 9-12). Roton itself is a regular neighborhood school, not a magnet, so enrollment is based on residence rather than application.

Housing in the 06853 zip code that includes Roton's location is expensive by national standards, with home values well above the national median and significantly above the state benchmark. Median rent is also high relative to incomes. A strong local job market, with major employers including Norwalk Hospital, corporate parks hosting technology and corporate headquarters, and ongoing residential construction, sustains demand. But the same development boom that has added thousands of apartments has also driven rents sharply upward, and the city's Affordable Housing Action Plan estimates a substantial shortfall in affordable units.

Roton is a traditional public middle school in a city with growing school choice options and ongoing physical transformation. Its academic trajectory and what instructional support or enrichment it provides are questions a parent should explore directly with the school, since the snapshot here shows proficiency below regional peers and no trend data.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 34% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 37% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 33% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 42% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 43% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 46% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Science

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 45% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

This schoolNorwalk School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income66%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income61%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income58%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income54%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income60%30 pp gap