The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Math. The lowest is 71% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Earlham Middle School
Earlham Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the small rural town of Earlham, Iowa. It is part of the Earlham Community School District and operates as a single middle school feeding into the district’s high school. The school’s size is modest for a middle school, with a student body that allows for a close-knit, small-school environment.
Academically, Earlham Middle School posted strong results on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress in the most recent school year. In both math and English language arts, a large majority of students scored at or above the proficient level, reflecting solid core instruction. Science achievement, while lower, still found a substantial majority of students meeting the state’s proficiency bar. Nearly every student participated in the assessments, which adds confidence to the reported outcomes. When measured against the other districts in Madison County, Earlham’s combined proficiency index across subjects falls below the midpoint of the three-district set. This positioning does not imply weak performance—the school’s own results are high in absolute terms—but it does indicate that the district’s peer group includes other schools with slightly stronger aggregate scores. A parent focused on the highest possible test performance within the county may want to look into that comparison further with the district office.
The student body is predominantly White, with small Hispanic and multiracial populations. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate rate that suggests the school serves a mix of family economic backgrounds. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the records provided, so those dimensions of student support remain unclear. Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data were also absent.
Earlham itself is a small, primarily residential rural town roughly thirty miles west of Des Moines. Publicly reported descriptions characterize it as having a historic main street along Chestnut Avenue with local shops and a café, set amid peaceful farmland. The built environment is low-density and car-dependent; there is no public transit, and daily errands beyond the immediate downtown require a vehicle. The town has seen modest population growth in recent years and is often described as an increasingly desirable commuter community for families who work in the Des Moines metro but want a quieter home base. Housing values in the zip code have risen and are above the state average, reflecting that demand. The school district itself is a notable local employer, and civic anchors include a city park with summer music events, a renovated swimming pool, and a community event venue in a rehabilitated historic building.
For the district overall, no recent major changes—such as a bond referendum, curriculum overhaul, or boundary shift—were found in publicly available information. Facilities projects have been mentioned, but without clear dates they cannot be attributed to the recent period.
Earlham Middle School fits a family looking for a small, rural middle school with strong academic results in a tight-knit community. The below-midpoint county comparison is a relative nuance rather than a weakness, and the school’s own proficiency rates show a school that is performing well. The town’s rural character, limited commercial density, and demographic homogeneity are features some families will embrace and others may wish to examine more closely. A parent considering this school will find a straightforward, well-performing middle school in a stable and growing small town.
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