The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Robinson Middle School
The narrative for Robinson Middle School is anchored in the data provided. Nothing is added from outside sources.
Robinson Middle School serves grades six through eight in Topeka, Kansas, as part of Topeka Public Schools. The school sits centrally in a city that functions as the state capital and is shaped by government, manufacturing, and agricultural employment. Key civic anchors include the Kansas State Capitol, Gage Park with its zoo and children’s discovery center, and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The city’s population has experienced a modest decline in recent years, giving the area a stable but not rapidly growing demographic profile.
Enrollment at Robinson is relatively small for a middle school. The student body reflects the broader diversity of the community, with a mix of White, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students, alongside small shares from other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need, which is relevant context for understanding its academic performance.
State testing results from the most recent assessment year show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are below the midpoint among districts in Shawnee County—placing the school in the bottom quartile on an overall proficiency index. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above increases modestly from sixth to eighth grade but remains limited in each grade. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: roughly a quarter of sixth graders meet the bar, with a slightly higher share in seventh and eighth grade. Eighth-grade science results follow a comparable pattern. The Kansas state testing system underwent a change in cut scores for these subjects, which means the results reflect a new standard of proficiency and cannot be directly compared to prior years. A parent may want to explore with the school how these results align with classroom instruction and what support structures are in place for students who are not yet meeting the proficiency threshold.
The school offers no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Participation rates for state assessments were not available in the data provided, and the school’s civil rights data on discipline, staffing, and course access were also absent. This limits what can be said about student-support climate, teacher qualifications, and program breadth. The district brief notes that Topeka Public Schools has seen a gradual improvement in its graduation rate over recent years, a district-wide trend that may eventually connect to middle-school preparation, though the brief does not link that data directly to Robinson.
Robinson is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not reported in the data. No course offerings, extracurricular programs, or special-education or English-learner population counts were available, so there is no way to assess program richness or targeted supports from the evidence at hand. The housing market in the school’s ZIP code shows that home values are below the state benchmark and that rents have been rising more recently. A family moving to the area to enroll at Robinson would find a relatively low-cost housing environment compared to much of Kansas.
The school’s size, its place in a district with magnet and signature campuses elsewhere, and the demographic and economic profile of its student body combine to create a specific context. Robinson is not a school where the majority of students score at the proficient level on state tests, and its proficiency index sits at the lower end relative to other districts in the county. For a family weighing academic outcomes, this is the central fact. The school’s response to that challenge—through whatever instructional or intervention strategies it employs—would be an important point of inquiry. Parents may wish to speak directly with administrators about how the school supports students who are below grade level and what academic programs are available for those who are ready for advanced work.
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