Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Olympia WA

Original Research by School Decision on Thurgood Marshall Middle School

Thurgood Marshall Middle School sits in northwest Olympia as part of the Olympia School District, serving sixth through eighth grades as a regular public school. The student body draws from a city that functions as Washington’s capital, a mix of state government employment, a historic downtown, and an arts-oriented community anchored by The Evergreen State College. The school itself is a moderately sized middle school where the student population is racially and ethnically diverse, with the largest share identifying as white, followed by students who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, and of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker that the school serves a broad economic spectrum. No data on English learner or special education populations was provided, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about support for those groups.

Academic performance data from Washington’s state assessments is available for a single recent year. Overall, the school places above the midpoint relative to districts in Thurston County on a composite proficiency index across tested subjects and grades. That headline masks variation by grade and subject. In mathematics, proficiency rates differ noticeably by grade level, with the highest share of students meeting standards in seventh grade and lower shares in sixth and eighth. English language arts follows a similar pattern: seventh-grade students post the strongest results, while sixth and eighth graders trail behind. Science, tested only in eighth grade, shows a moderate share of students proficient. Because only one year of assessment data is available, no trend can be established, and it is not possible to say whether performance is improving, declining, or stable.

The school’s environment reflects its urban-suburban setting in Olympia. The city features fare-free bus service via Intercity Transit, a walkable historic downtown, and the Washington State Capitol campus on a promontory overlooking Budd Inlet. State government is the dominant employer, and the presence of The Evergreen State College adds a college-town dimension. Housing in the school’s zip code is expensive relative to national averages, and the gap between rents and mortgage costs suggests that renting may be more feasible for many households than buying. The district reported no recent parent-relevant changes in the data provided, so families looking for information on boundary adjustments, program additions, or facility plans would need to consult the district directly.

Details on course offerings, extracurricular programs, staffing ratios, and discipline were not available in the data. The school does not appear to operate under a charter or magnet designation, and its Title I status is unreported. For a middle school, there is no graduation rate to consider, and no chronic absenteeism figures were provided. A parent interested in the school’s elective choices, special education services, or school climate would benefit from a visit or conversation with the administration.

Thurgood Marshall Middle School occupies a solid position in its local academic landscape, with some grades performing better than others. The mix of a state-capital community, a diverse student body, and an overall proficiency picture that sits above the middle of county districts gives families a reasonable starting point, though the lack of multi-year data and missing support-service details means additional inquiry is warranted for a full assessment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 52% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 55% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 52% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 36% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 67% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 66% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 60% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolOlympia 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-income43%Higher-income65%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income54%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income72%39 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income67%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income38%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income65%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income54%23 pp gap