Marshall Middle, Janesville WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Middle

Marshall Middle serves students in sixth through eighth grade in Janesville, within the Janesville School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, or Asian. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that signals a moderate level of economic need in the school community. Enrollment is relatively stable across the three grades.

State testing data places Marshall Middle in a middle position relative to other districts in Rock County. On the state Forward exam, math proficiency rates declined as grade level rose. In sixth grade, more than half of students scored proficient or advanced in math. By eighth grade, that share was just over half. A similar downward pattern appeared in English language arts, where sixth-grade proficiency was somewhat above the midpoint, seventh grade dipped notably, and eighth grade recovered part of that ground. Science, tested only in eighth grade, saw a lower proficiency rate than any single-year math or English result. Social studies, also tested only in eighth grade, posted a stronger outcome. A parent may want to ask the school how math and English skills are supported, especially in the transition years.

The school environment data is limited. Information on discipline, staffing ratios, course access, and attendance was not available in the source data. Chronic absenteeism and graduation rates do not apply to a middle school, so those measures are absent. The district brief turned up no major recent changes or initiatives.

Janesville itself is a mid-sized city with a manufacturing and commercial base, serving as a regional trading center. The Rock River runs through town, and the downtown area centers on a Town Square. Major employers include corporate headquarters for regional retail and manufacturing firms, though the city has seen the closure of large industrial plants in the past. The park system is extensive, with trails connected to the Ice Age Trail. Housing values in the area are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents have risen recently. The city has seen slow population growth, and the wider county context shows a typical economic picture.

For a family considering Marshall Middle, the school represents a solidly performing middle school in a district that serves a diverse but predominantly white student body. The academic results are in the middle of the county range, with math and English outcomes that soften as students move toward high school. The absence of data on discipline, staffing, and course offerings means a family would want to visit, talk to current families, and ask directly about those topics. The surrounding city offers a range of housing options at below-state-average prices, a functional downtown, and outdoor amenities. This is not a school with a standout academic profile, but it is a standard, accessible middle school in a community that has experienced economic transition.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 659%

School 59% · District 43% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 45% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 49% · ▲ 2 pts above district

even with state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 47% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 44% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 51% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 43% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 58% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 7 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 6Lower-income42%Higher-income73%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income63%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income60%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income70%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income67%27 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income62%24 pp gap