Summary:
ZIP code 55124 is home to three middle schools — Scott Highlands Middle, Valley Middle School of STEM, and Falcon Ridge Middle — all serving grades 6–8 and all part of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district. Together they enroll 3,406 students, with school sizes ranging from 1,088 to 1,228. The district ranks 85 of 458 in Minnesota, placing it in the 81st percentile with 4 stars, and every test score in this set is reported as an exact percentage proficient.
Falcon Ridge Middle is the standout: it ranks 49 of 546 statewide (91st percentile, 5 stars), up from 121 to 78 to 49 over three years, and posts the highest all-grade proficiency in math (53.5), reading (62.1), and science (28.4). Its 8th-grade math (64.8) and 8th-grade reading (66.9) are the top grade-level results in the group. Scott Highlands Middle is a close peer, ranking 61 of 546 (89th percentile, 4 stars) and holding 4 stars all three years; its reading (61.9) trails Falcon Ridge by just 0.2 points, and it has the best 6th-grade math (50.8) while tying for best 6th-grade reading (66.5). It is the largest school (1,228 students) with the highest student-teacher ratio (18.4). Valley Middle School of STEM ranks 187 (66th percentile, 3 stars) and is the most improved — climbing from 267th to 187th with a 9.6-point reading gain and 4.55-point science gain — but remains below the district in every subject.
Reading is a shared strength: all three schools beat the state average, with Falcon Ridge and Scott Highlands each more than 13 points above it. Science is the weak spot — every school trails the district average, though Falcon Ridge is the only one above the state. Free/reduced lunch rates (29.07%, 30.97%, 44.68%) and class sizes (18.4, 17.5, 15.8) do not tell a simple story: Valley STEM has the highest poverty rate and smallest classes yet the lowest proficiency by a wide margin, including the group's lowest science score (19.0) despite its STEM name.
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