Washington Technology Middle School, Saint Paul MN

Original Research by School Decision on Washington Technology Middle School

Washington Technology Middle School sits within Saint Paul Public Schools, the large urban district serving Minnesota's capital city. The school serves grades six through eight and is classified as a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Its location on Rice Street puts it in the north end of the city, a densely populated residential and commercial corridor.

The student body is notably diverse, with a composition that reflects Saint Paul's broader demographics. Asian students represent the largest group, followed by Black students, Hispanic students, and a small share of White students. A very substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Separate counts for students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly what share of students receive special education services or are learning English as a new language.

State assessment results show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are below what one typically sees across Minnesota schools. At each grade level, proficiency in math is in a low single-digit range, and in English language arts, it is somewhat higher but still modest. In science, which is tested in grade eight, the proficiency rate is very low. Looking across all tested subjects and grades, the composite proficiency measure places the school in the bottom quartile relative to middle schools in Ramsey County. The data for this testing year represents the first year available under the current assessment framework, so there is no prior year trend line to tell a story of improvement or decline. A parent may want to discuss with the school what instructional supports are in place and how the school is working to raise these outcomes.

The city of Saint Paul is the state capital and part of the larger Twin Cities metro area. It is a mix of government buildings, dense residential neighborhoods, cultural institutions, and professional sports venues. The Mississippi River shapes the city's geography, with steep bluffs and river valleys. The city's park system is highly regarded, and public transit, including light rail, connects Saint Paul with Minneapolis. The population is diverse, and the city's economy is anchored by state government and county government employment. The housing market in the school's immediate area reflects moderate home values and rents that are slightly below the national benchmark, with the typical monthly rent running somewhat lower than a typical mortgage payment.

The district has recently opened E-STEM Middle School, a new specialized magnet in nearby Woodbury that offers an environmental STEM pathway for middle grades. It also converted a former elementary into East African Elementary Magnet, another culturally focused magnet option. And it renamed Ramsey Middle School to Hidden River Middle School. These changes signal that the district is actively reshaping its school options, though Washington Technology Middle School itself did not change its name or program in the publicly reported data.

For a parent, this is a school that draws a highly diverse student body from a low-income population, and where standardized test results are a soft spot that would merit a direct conversation with the school about academic supports and growth measures. The setting is an urban neighborhood in a capital city with substantial civic infrastructure, public transit, and a stable housing market.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 22% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · District 22% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 810%

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

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 36% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 31% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 33% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 10% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolSaint Paul 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 6Lower-income16%Higher-income17%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income32%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income11%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income0%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income11%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income9%Higher-income13%3 pp gap