Kennedy Elementary, Madison WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Kennedy Elementary

Kennedy Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Madison, Wisconsin. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Because it serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and state testing is limited to the grades that are assessed.

On the Wisconsin Forward exams, proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades fall well below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Dane County. In third-grade math, slightly more than a third of students scored proficient or above, while in fourth and fifth grades the share dropped to about a fifth. Reading results follow a similar pattern: third-grade proficiency was near the one-third mark, with fourth and fifth grades slightly lower. Science proficiency in fourth grade was around a fifth of students, while social studies in the same grade reached a bit over two-fifths. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Dane County, a signal that academic attainment is lower than most neighbors in the area. A parent may want to discuss with the school what interventions and supports are in place for students who are not yet at grade level.

Enrollment is sizable for an elementary school, serving students from pre-K through fifth grade. The student body is diverse: the largest groups are Black and white students, with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic, Asian, or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families have lower household income. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners were not available, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about special education and language support offerings.

Madison, the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, shapes the school’s context. The city’s economy is anchored by government, education, healthcare, and technology, with major employers including UW Health, state government, and Epic Systems. Downtown is walkable, centered on the Capitol Square and the State Street pedestrian mall, and the city is known for its bike paths, lakes, and parks. Madison is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin, with ongoing development driven by the university and tech sectors. Housing values in the area sit above the national benchmark and have risen moderately; rents are also above the national median. The combination of a stable job market and a growing population means that the neighborhood around Kennedy Elementary reflects a mix of longtime residents and newcomers.

This is a neighborhood school in a large, progressive urban district. It offers a standard elementary program in a diverse setting. The low proficiency rates relative to the county are the most notable feature of the academic picture, and families considering this school should investigate the school’s approach to curriculum, intervention, and enrichment to see if it matches their child’s needs. Broader district information about recent building construction was sought but not publicly found in this search, so specific capital improvements at Kennedy cannot be described here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 46% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 45% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 41% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 47% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 50% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 46% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 47% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 59% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

This schoolMadison Metropolitan 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-income15%Higher-income56%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income8%Higher-income44%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income10%Higher-income54%44 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income20%Higher-income70%51 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income6%Higher-income38%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income46%39 pp gap