Summary:
The 53083 zip code area is home to two middle schools - Urban Middle and Howards Grove Middle. Based on the available data, Howards Grove Middle stands out as the higher-performing school, consistently ranking among the top third of Wisconsin middle schools and maintaining a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Howards Grove Middle boasts significantly higher proficiency rates on the Forward Exam across all grade levels and subject areas compared to both Urban Middle and the state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 90% of 5th graders at Howards Grove Middle were proficient or better in math, compared to 42.94% at Urban Middle and the state average of 52.58%. Additionally, Howards Grove Middle has a lower student-teacher ratio of 13:1 and a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (13.74%) compared to Urban Middle (53.05%), indicating a more advantaged student population.
In contrast, Urban Middle is ranked 450th out of 628 Wisconsin middle schools and is only rated 1-2 stars by SchoolDigger. The school's performance lags behind both Howards Grove Middle and the state averages on standardized tests. Understanding the factors driving the performance differences between these two schools, such as curriculum, teaching practices, and community engagement, could provide valuable insights for improving educational outcomes, especially at lower-performing schools like Urban Middle.
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