The top reported proficiency rate is 8% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Middle School Right Fit
Middle School Right Fit is a regular public school in Rochester, Minnesota, serving grades six through eight as part of the Rochester Public School District. The school is one of the district’s middle-level options, but it stands apart in its enrollment size. With a student body that is small in total, the school offers a setting unlike the larger conventional middle schools in the district.
The student composition is majority white, with Black students making up a substantial share of the enrollment, followed by smaller shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races, and a single student identified as American Indian or Alaska Native. A large majority of students at the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student body with significant economic need.
On academics, the state testing results for the 2023-24 school year are limited in what they can reveal because the school’s small enrollment leads to small tested populations and, in some grade levels, data that is suppressed for privacy. Where the state did report results, they show very low proficiency rates in both math and reading. In math, none of the students who took the state assessment in grades six, seven, or eight scored at the proficient level. In reading, the rates were also very low, with a small fraction of seventh graders and an equally small fraction of eighth graders meeting the bar. In science, where only eighth graders are tested, no students reached proficiency. The small tested population means that a single student’s result can dramatically shift the percentage, so these numbers should be read with caution, but the pattern is clear: academic attainment, as measured by state tests, is an area of deep concern. A parent or guardian should look into this further with the school to understand what instructional supports and interventions are in place.
The school sits within the Rochester Public School District, which has recently opened a new elementary school to address growth and has launched a P-TECH early college high school program as well as districtwide online learning options. These developments reflect a district that is expanding its program offerings, but none of these changes directly affect the academic picture at Middle School Right Fit.
Rochester itself is a mid-sized city defined by the Mayo Clinic, which dominates the local economy and downtown. The city has a downtown network of skyways and walkways and a population that has been growing modestly, driven partly by the Destination Medical Center development initiative. Housing values in the zip code are below the state benchmark, and the rental market is comparatively more affordable relative to income than the national average. The city offers a range of civic and cultural amenities including a parks system, a public library, and a growing public transit network.
When compared to other districts in Olmsted County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile. This comparison underscores the gap between the school’s academic outcomes and those of other schools serving similar grade bands in the same county. The school does not have a reported graduation rate because it does not serve high school grades, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available.
Middle School Right Fit serves a small, high-needs population. Its academic results, where reported, are weak by a wide margin relative to local peers. For a family weighing a middle school placement, the primary question is whether the school’s small size and specific environment can be paired with the intensive academic support that the test results suggest are necessary.
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