Tillicum Middle School, Bellevue WA

Original Research by School Decision on Tillicum Middle School

Tillicum Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in the Bellevue School District, a system set in a city that has experienced fast growth and a shifting economy. The school itself sits in a suburban part of Bellevue, a city of high-density downtown towers and woodsy residential neighborhoods. The area is dominated by large technology employers, and the housing market reflects that: home values and rents are high, and the cost of buying is well above the national typical level.

The school enrolls a student body that is roughly evenly split between white students and Asian students, each making up about a third of the population, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller group of students who identify as two or more races. A small share of students at Tillicum qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that is low relative to many schools in the region. Data on the proportion of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports in place for these groups.

Academic performance on state assessments is a clear strength. Across the tested grades, proficiency rates in both English language arts and math are above the midpoint of schools in King County; the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in the county. In English language arts, the share of students meeting state standards is solid across all three grade levels, and in math the numbers are consistently strong as well. Science results for eighth graders are similarly strong. Because only one year of test data was provided, there is no way to see whether these results are trending up or down, but the single snapshot shows a school where most students are performing at or above the state standard.

As a middle school, Tillicum does not have a graduation rate to report, and program offerings such as course access were not included in the available data. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not listed. A parent interested in elective options, advanced coursework, or extracurriculars would need to check with the school for specifics.

The district brief showed no recent parent-relevant changes flagged in public records, so the broader context for families is the Bellevue district itself: a well-regarded system with a history of strong academic outcomes, operating in a city that has added significant office space and residential development, particularly around the new light rail corridor. Tillicum Middle School fits into that system as a high-performing school where a typical student is likely meeting state benchmarks. The student composition is economically diverse, though less so than many area schools, and the academic picture is one of consistent, above-average achievement. For a family weighing options in the Bellevue area, this school represents a reliably strong academic environment, with the housing cost and competitive enrollment context that come with that territory.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 36% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 73% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 65% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 36% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 64% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 72% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 68% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolBellevue 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 5Lower-income35%Higher-income77%42 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income74%41 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income75%27 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income82%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income59%34 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income72%43 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income72%37 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income34%Higher-income76%42 pp gap