The reported proficiency rate for Math is 38%.
Original Research by School Decision on Carl Ben Eielson Middle School
Carl Ben Eielson Middle School sits on the south side of Fargo, serving grades six through eight as a regular public school in the Fargo 1 district. The school draws from a mid-sized regional center that blends healthcare, higher education, technology, and retail. Fargo functions as the cultural and economic hub for southeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, anchored by North Dakota State University, Sanford Health, and a Microsoft regional campus. The city has grown steadily, with postwar interstate construction pushing development south and west of the original downtown core. Carl Ben Eielson's location on Thirteenth Avenue South places it in that car-oriented postwar stretch rather than the walkable downtown grid, so most families will approach the school by car.
The enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with roughly even distribution across the three grade levels. The student body reflects Fargo's evolving demographics. White students make up the majority, with a substantial Black population and a meaningful Hispanic presence. Smaller shares of students identify as Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so a parent whose child falls into either group may want to ask the school directly about support services.
Academic results come from North Dakota's A-PLUS assessment for the most recent school year. The state changed both the assessment name and the proficiency cut scores for this cycle, which means the results are not directly comparable to prior years and no clean trend can be drawn. In math, proficiency was moderate in sixth grade and rose somewhat in seventh grade, with eighth grade landing in a similar range. English language arts followed a different pattern: sixth grade was the soft spot, with the lowest proficiency band across all subjects and grades, while seventh and eighth grade ELA improved into a mid-range band. Science, tested only in eighth grade, landed in that same mid-range area. Participation was strong across every subject and grade. Taken together, the school's results show a clear upward trajectory within the middle school years, with students performing better in seventh and eighth grade than in sixth. The sixth-grade ELA result is the weakest point a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly around the transition from elementary reading instruction to middle-grade expectations.
Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report. No data was available on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, attendance, or specific program offerings, so those aspects of the school environment cannot be characterized here. A parent interested in electives, extracurriculars, or advanced coursework should contact the school directly, as none of that material appeared in the available data.
Housing in the school's zip code sits below both the state and national benchmarks for typical home values, and rents are similarly modest relative to national figures. The area has seen steady appreciation, and the broader Fargo metro has maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates among U.S. metropolitan areas over a sustained period. A major flood diversion project is under construction to protect the city from Red River flooding, which speaks to the long-term stability of the area but also reflects the environmental reality of living near the river.
Fargo 1 is the parent district. The district brief did not surface specific parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property-tax adjustments, so there is little to report on recent district-level initiatives. What is clear is that the district operates in a growing regional center with diversified employment and a stable economic base, anchored by institutions that also serve as the area's largest employers.
Carl Ben Eielson presents as a typical mid-sized urban middle school in a growing regional city, with moderate assessment results that strengthen as students move through the grades, a diverse student body, and a housing market that remains relatively accessible compared with state and national levels.
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