Ordean East Middle School, Duluth MN

Original Research by School Decision on Ordean East Middle School

Ordean East Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Duluth, Minnesota, part of the Duluth Public School District. It is a notably large middle school for its grade band, situated in the eastern part of the city. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of students who identify as two or more races and even smaller representations of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About a quarter of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that points to a mix of economic backgrounds but a majority of students coming from households that do not qualify for income-based meal assistance.

On state assessments during the most recent testing year, reading performance was a clear strength. Across all three grades, a solid majority of students scored as proficient in English language arts, with the sixth-grade cohort performing especially well. Math results were more mixed. While seventh graders reached proficiency at a rate that was also a majority, roughly half of sixth graders and a smaller share of eighth graders were proficient in math. Science results came from the eighth-grade assessment only, and the proficiency rate was notably lower than in the other two subjects. Parents looking into the school's science instruction may want to ask the school how it prepares students for that test. Because only a single year of data was available for reading and math, there is no trend to report on whether performance is improving or declining. When placed against other districts in St. Louis County using an index that averages proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Ordean East fell in the top quartile. That comparison group includes districts of varying size and type, so the position indicates that the school's overall academic results sit above most area peers.

The school reported no data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program or those classified as English learners. A parent whose child might need those supports should confirm availability directly with the school. The school also did not report data on chronic absenteeism, so it is not possible to say how regularly students are in class. There were no publicly reported findings on discipline or staffing, which are common areas families ask about.

Duluth is a mid-sized port city on Lake Superior and the regional center for northeastern Minnesota. It is a mix of a working port, a tourist destination, a university town, and a regional healthcare hub. The city's hillside neighborhoods above the lake are primarily residential, while Canal Park and the downtown waterfront are pedestrian-oriented tourist districts. Housing values and rents in the zip code served by Ordean East are in a range comparable to the state median, and the area has seen modest appreciation. The city's population has been stable over recent years, with growth that is slow and focused on revitalization rather than new subdivisions. The Duluth Public School District did not have any major parent-relevant changes publicly reported in recent years, so families can expect continuity in how the district operates.

For a family considering Ordean East, the picture is of a large middle school with strong reading results and decent but uneven math scores, set in a stable city with a diverse economy. The student population is not economically diverse and is racially homogeneous. The school's academic standing among county peers is favorable, though the lower science proficiency and the absence of data on key support populations and attendance are gaps a prospective parent would want to address in a conversation with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 37% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 43% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 38% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 62% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 53% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 52% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Science

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 21% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolDULUTH 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-income53%Higher-income78%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income69%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income67%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income53%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income26%Higher-income64%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income25%Higher-income50%25 pp gap