Olson Middle, Bloomington MN - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Olson Middle

Olson Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Bloomington, a large, post-World War II suburb of Minneapolis. The city is a major employment hub, home to the Mall of America and numerous corporate headquarters, and it has more jobs per capita than Minneapolis or Saint Paul. The built environment is car-oriented, with four major freeways and a light rail line connecting to downtown Minneapolis, and roughly a third of the city is permanent parkland. Bloomington lacks a traditional downtown; civic functions are dispersed, and school facilities are spread across the city rather than clustered. The district operates two public high schools.

Olson Middle’s overall academic performance on state assessments places it above most other schools in Hennepin County. In math, roughly half of students at each grade level met state standards, with eighth graders showing a slightly higher share than sixth and seventh graders. In reading, a majority of sixth graders were proficient, while seventh and eighth graders were closer to the midpoint. Science results, measured only in eighth grade, were lower, though the state’s science assessment changed in name and cut scores that year, making direct comparisons uncertain. Because only one year of data is available for the school, no trend can be assessed.

The student body is predominantly white, with Black and Hispanic students each making up a modest share and smaller numbers of Asian and multiracial students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic diversity. Data on special education and English learner enrollment were not reported in the available records.

The housing market in Bloomington is expensive relative to national and state benchmarks. Home values have recently risen, and rents have increased as well. The city’s population has been roughly stable with a slight decline in recent years according to estimates. The South Loop district around the Mall of America is the primary growth area, managed by a port authority. Voters recently approved a local sales tax increase to fund a new public health and community center, ice rink renovations, and a creek restoration.

The district of which Olson is a part offers several programs that may shape a family's experience. A fully online K-12 option, New Code Academy, is available to any Minnesota family. The Bloomington Career and College Academy lets high school students earn college credit with open enrollment for non-residents. The district also operates a Computer Science Immersion program for elementary and middle school students, developed in partnership with the University of Minnesota.

For a family considering Olson Middle, the school presents a solid academic profile relative to other Hennepin County schools, with math and reading proficiency around or above the midpoint. The lower science results in eighth grade warrant a conversation with the school about how that subject is taught and supported. The peer environment is moderately diverse economically and racially, typical of a large suburban district. The community offers extensive parkland, strong employment, and good transit connections to Minneapolis, but housing costs are high and the area is thoroughly suburban. Families who value STEM-focused district initiatives, online flexibility, and early college credit pathways for older students may find the broader district offerings a reason to choose Olson.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 36% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 35% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 38% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 53% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 37% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 38% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 19% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

This schoolBLOOMINGTON PUBLIC 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-income37%Higher-income75%38 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income58%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income62%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income59%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income57%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income65%27 pp gap