Howard Middle, Orlando FL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Howard Middle

Howard Middle sits on East Robinson Street in the heart of downtown Orlando, a location that puts it squarely in one of the city's most dynamic and urbanizing corridors. Students here are not in a suburban campus setting. They are within walking distance of Lake Eola Park, the main public library, SunRail stations, and the Creative Village development anchored by UCF Downtown and Valencia College. For families who value urban proximity and civic engagement as part of their child's daily context, that geography is concrete and immediate.

The school draws a racially and economically mixed student body. White students make up the largest share, followed closely by Hispanic students and then Black students, with smaller populations identifying as Asian or multiracial. Roughly three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Howard below the typical concentration of economic disadvantage seen in many urban middle schools. Data on English learners and students with IEPs were not available in the records reviewed, so parents with students in those categories may want to ask the school directly about support structures.

On Florida's FAST assessments, Howard performs well by state standards, and this is a genuine academic strength. Sixth and eighth grade math proficiency is high, with both grades landing in the upper range of the state distribution. Seventh grade math proficiency drops noticeably and sits closer to the state midpoint, a gap that stands out against the other grades and is worth a follow-up conversation with the school about what is driving it. ELA proficiency across all three grades runs in a solid range, with sixth grade highest and seventh and eighth grades slightly lower but still above where many comparable urban schools land. Eighth grade science proficiency is similarly strong. Placed against other districts in Orange County, Howard's overall proficiency index sits well above the upper bound of that comparison set, which is a meaningful position to hold.

Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, stability, or a recent shift.

Program information was not included in the data available for this school, so the breadth of electives, enrichment, clubs, or specialized tracks cannot be characterized here. Parents interested in specific programs, honors courses, or extracurricular offerings would need to consult the school or the Orange County Public Schools district directly. Similarly, chronic absenteeism and discipline data were not reported, leaving out dimensions of school climate that some families weigh heavily.

The housing picture around the school reflects the downtown Orlando market. Home values in the surrounding zip code are modestly below the Florida statewide benchmark and near national levels, though they have come down year over year. Rents have also softened slightly. The rent-to-income ratio sits at a level that is at the boundary of what housing economists consider affordable. For families considering whether to buy or rent near this school, the market is more accessible than it was a couple of years ago but remains stretched relative to incomes. Mortgage costs run meaningfully higher than renting in this area.

Orlando itself is in an active growth phase. Downtown is seeing substantial new mixed-use investment, and the regional economy has been broadening beyond tourism into healthcare, education, and technology. The neighborhood around Howard Middle is part of that shift, with new residential and commercial development visible in the immediate vicinity. This is not a static environment, and families should expect ongoing construction activity and change in the surrounding streetscape.

The district brief for Orange County Public Schools returned no confirmed parent-relevant changes before the research window closed, so district-level strategic priorities or recent policy shifts were left out rather than guessed at.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 678%

School 78% · District 60% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 39% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 63% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 679%

School 79% · District 59% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 55% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 53% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 52% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

This schoolORANGE, 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-income73%Higher-income82%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income81%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income78%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income68%Higher-income84%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income51%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income68%Higher-income87%19 pp gap