The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 50% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wood Intermediate
Wood Intermediate is a regular public school in Davenport, Iowa, serving seventh and eighth graders. It is part of the Davenport Community School District, the largest district in the Quad Cities. The school sits north of downtown Davenport, a mid-sized Mississippi River city that was once a major industrial hub but has seen flat population growth over the past several decades as those industries left.
Academically, Wood Intermediate’s state test results present a mixed picture. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), the share of students meeting proficiency in English language arts and math sits below the midpoint of middle schools in Scott County. A majority of students do score proficient in ELA, and slightly more than half do in math, but the school’s overall proficiency index lands below the county median. Science proficiency is lower still, with about half of tested students reaching the proficient level. Because the school serves only grades seven and eight, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data to consider. A parent looking at the school’s academic profile may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students who are not yet at grade level, particularly in math and science, and about any specific interventions in place.
The student body is diverse. The largest group of students are white, making up less than half of enrollment. Black students account for a substantial share, and smaller groups of Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students round out the school’s composition. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of a majority low-income student population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials, so a parent should confirm directly with the school what supports exist for those populations.
Wood Intermediate sits in a Davenport neighborhood with housing costs that are below national averages. Home values and rents in the surrounding zip code are modest. The national economic context shows a 30-year mortgage rate just under 6.5 percent, a national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, and median household income near $84,000, but these national figures may not reflect local conditions directly.
Davenport itself offers a riverfront downtown with cultural institutions like the Figge Art Museum, minor-league baseball at Modern Woodmen Park, and annual festivals including the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. Parks and recreational paths are abundant, and the city’s grid street pattern makes parts of central Davenport walkable, but most of the city, including the area around Wood Intermediate, is car-dependent suburban-style development served by interstates. The city’s population has been flat for decades, and while downtown has seen investment in cultural amenities, large-scale housing growth is not a defining feature of the market.
No recent district-level changes—referendums, curriculum shifts, or property tax changes—were identified in publicly available records, so this narrative reflects the school as it stands without a pending disruption on the horizon.
For a family considering Wood Intermediate, the picture is of a mid-sized, diverse middle school in a stable city where housing is affordable by national standards. The academic profile shows a school that is not among the highest-performing in its county, especially in math and science, and a parent would be wise to understand how the school addresses those gaps. The school’s student body is economically diverse, and the surrounding community offers cultural amenities and a modest cost of living. This is a school that may fit families who value the diversity and community context of a mid-sized Mississippi River city and who are prepared to be proactive about academic support.
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