Mceachron Elem, Topeka KS - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Mceachron Elem

McEachron Elementary is a public school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Topeka, Kansas, part of the Topeka Public Schools district. It sits in a residential section of the state capital, a city whose economy blends government, agriculture, and manufacturing. Shawnee County, where the school is located, contains a mix of suburban and urban neighborhoods around the downtown core anchored by the Kansas State Capitol.

The school enrolls a moderate number of students for an elementary, with each grade from kindergarten through fifth carrying a similar class size and a smaller prekindergarten program. The student body is diverse: roughly half the children are white, about one in five identifies as two or more races, and the remainder includes Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students in varying proportions. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that many families face economic pressures. This economic context matters for understanding the school’s resources and the challenges its students bring to the classroom.

State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program show the academic picture. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math were modest across tested grades, with the percentage of students meeting state standards ranging from roughly one in six in fifth grade to just under three in ten in fourth grade. English language arts results were somewhat higher in third and fourth grade, where about a third and nearly half of students scored proficient, but fifth-grade reading dropped to around one in six. Science results for fifth graders were similar, with about a third of students reaching proficiency. The state made changes to the cut scores that define proficiency for these assessments, so year-to-year comparisons are not straightforward. Still, the overall pattern is that a minority of students at each grade level are meeting state standards.

When placed alongside other elementary schools in Shawnee County, McEachron’s combined proficiency across all tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quarter of the group. This is a soft spot that a parent would want to investigate further with the school. There is no graduation rate to consider because the school serves only elementary grades. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available, so a full picture of the school environment is incomplete.

The housing market around McEachron reflects the broader Topeka area. Home values in the school’s zip code were roughly on par with the state median, though they had dipped slightly compared to a year earlier. Rents, however, rose noticeably over the same period, and for a family considering a move into the attendance zone, the balance between buying and renting has shifted.

The parent district, Topeka Public Schools, has seen a multi-year improvement in its graduation rate, a sign of progress at the secondary level that may matter to families planning ahead. The district also operates magnet schools and signature campuses focused on themes such as dual language, fine arts, science, STEAM, and leadership, offering choice options that could affect where a family ultimately enrolls their child.

McEachron Elementary is a neighborhood school serving a diverse and economically varied population. Its academic results, particularly in the upper elementary grades, are lower than many nearby schools, and families considering it would want to learn more about how the school supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. The absence of data on discipline, attendance, and staffing leaves gaps that a parent would need to fill through direct conversation with the school. The broader district context offers some specialized programs that might be worth exploring if academic fit is the primary concern.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 31% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 22% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 26% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 39% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 33% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 35% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 31% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

This schoolTopeka Public Schools, 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 3Lower-income28%Higher-income41%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income61%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income11%Higher-income32%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income29%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income41%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income37%28 pp gap