Jefferson Elementary, Janesville WI

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary is a regular public school in Janesville, Wisconsin, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of the elementary schools in the Janesville School District. The school sits on Mount Zion Avenue on the city’s north side.

State assessment results for the most recent testing year show a mixed picture. In third grade, a solid majority of students met or exceeded the proficiency bar in both English language arts and math. By fourth grade, the share of students reaching that bar dropped noticeably in both subjects, and fourth-grade science and social studies results were also weaker. Fifth-grade results improved relative to fourth, with more than half of students proficient in ELA and about half in math. When the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is compared to other schools in Rock County, it falls in the bottom quarter of the group. A parent may want to ask the school about the drop between third and fourth grade and what supports are in place.

Enrollment is on the smaller side for an elementary school serving seven grade levels. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, roughly two out of three children. The student body is predominantly white, with a noticeable Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, or of two or more races. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the public records reviewed, so a parent interested in those programs should check directly with the school.

Janesville is a mid-sized city with a history of manufacturing and a mix of corporate headquarters, retail, and commercial activity. It has a downtown Town Square along the Rock River and an extensive park and trail system. The city’s population has grown modestly in recent years following the closure of some large manufacturing employers. Housing in the area is priced moderately relative to the state. No recent district-level changes or strategic priorities were found in publicly available information to report.

Jefferson Elementary does not offer the advanced course options or graduation metrics that apply to secondary schools because it serves only early and elementary grades. That means there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit data, and no chronic absenteeism figure to review. The school’s program offerings were not included in the available data, so families should inquire about art, music, physical education, and any specialized supports directly.

For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is an elementary school serving a high-needs population where proficiency rates vary notably by grade and generally sit lower than those of many other Rock County schools. The community context is a stable Midwestern city with a modest economic base.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 63% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 55% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 59% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 59% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 54% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 57% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Science

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 48% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 65% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

This schoolJanesville 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 3Lower-income75%Higher-income50%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income53%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income80%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income63%Higher-income70%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income65%47 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income64%26 pp gap