The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 80% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Clear Creek Amana Middle School
Clear Creek Amana Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders as a regular public school in Tiffin, a small, rapidly growing city in Johnson County within the Iowa City metropolitan area. The school sits on a consolidated campus that also houses Tiffin Elementary School and Clear Creek–Amana High School, and the Springmier Community Library is located inside the middle school building itself, making the campus a civic-educational anchor. Tiffin has seen explosive population growth over the past two decades, more than doubling its population between the 2000 and 2020 censuses, and it continues to expand through new residential subdivisions. The community is family-oriented — a notable share of residents are under twenty — and the housing market reflects that demand, with typical home values above the state average but still below the national median.
Academically, the school performs at a level that places it among the top tier of the middle schools in Johnson County. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the proportion of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards was strong across all three tested subjects. In English language arts, a large majority of students scored at the proficient or advanced level. Math proficiency was similarly high, and science results were even stronger, with an even larger majority reaching proficiency. When combined into a single proficiency index, the school’s performance falls in the top quartile relative to the other school districts in the county. Because this is the only year of data available in the current state assessment, no trend can be reported, but the single snapshot shows a school where most students are meeting state academic expectations.
Enrollment at the middle school is moderate for a three-grade building, with each grade level roughly comparable in size. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, Black, or of two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian and American Indian students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that indicates a mid-range level of economic need. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs and English learners was not available in the provided records, so a parent who wants to understand the school’s special education supports or language services may want to follow up directly with the school to ask about those populations.
The middle school is part of the Clear Creek Amana Community School District, which has recently made two notable changes that affect this building. In the 2023-2024 school year, the district implemented standards-based grading for all secondary grades, including sixth through eighth. Under this system, report card scores reflect a student’s current level of proficiency on priority academic standards rather than averaging all work over the term, and academic achievement is separated from behaviors such as participation and effort. This represents a meaningful shift in how student progress is communicated. Additionally, voters approved a general obligation bond in 2024 to fund a new intermediate school for fourth and fifth graders, which will relieve overcrowding at the elementary level and add high school classrooms, but it does not directly affect the middle school building itself.
Tiffin’s rapid growth has brought new subdivisions, parks, and an industrial park, but the town remains relatively compact and auto-oriented in its newer sections. The school campus operates as a hub for both education and community life, with the library integrated into the middle school. No data on discipline, chronic absenteeism, or course access at the middle school was available, so those are areas a parent may want to investigate when evaluating the school’s climate and breadth of offerings. Overall, Clear Creek Amana Middle School presents a picture of solid academic performance in a growing, family-oriented community, with a district that is actively adapting its assessment practices and infrastructure to meet enrollment pressures.
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