Cornell Middle, Cornell WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cornell Middle

Cornell Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the city of Cornell, a small rural community at the confluence of the Chippewa and Fisher Rivers in Chippewa County. The school is the sole middle school in the Cornell School District, and its enrollment is on the smaller side for a three-grade middle school. The city itself has a stable-to-declining population, with a compact downtown and a recreational spine along the Old Abe State Trail, and the school campus sits within that community rather than on a separate outlying site.

Academically, Cornell Middle’s state assessment results show a pattern that warrants a close look. In mathematics, proficiency rates decline noticeably as grade levels rise. Sixth graders hit a solidly above-average mark, but that figure drops meaningfully by seventh grade and drops further in eighth grade, landing well below the state midpoint. English language arts follows a similar trajectory: sixth graders post a respectable share of students meeting or exceeding standards, while seventh and eighth graders fall to lower levels. Science and social studies, tested only in eighth grade, also sit below the state average. Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report. When placed against other districts in Chippewa County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school would want to ask how the school supports students as they move through the middle grades and whether there are targeted interventions for students who begin to struggle in the later years.

The school’s student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with a lower median household income relative to state benchmarks. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so it is not possible to describe the school’s support for those populations from the provided evidence. The district brief turned up no recent referendums, curriculum shifts, or other parent-relevant changes, suggesting a period of stability or at least no widely reported developments.

Housing in the Cornell area is noticeably more affordable than the state median, and the local housing market shows modest year-over-year appreciation. Combined with the district’s small size and the town’s rural character, this school may appeal to families seeking a close-knit setting with lower housing costs, but the academic data points to a middle school where a significant fraction of students will need additional support to stay on track. Without civil rights data or program offerings in the record, families should seek direct information from the school about course access, special education services, and any extracurricular or enrichment opportunities that might be available.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 18 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Science

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 17 pts below state median

This schoolCornell School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income69%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income25%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income85%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income38%12 pp gap