Black Hawk Middle, Madison WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Black Hawk Middle

Black Hawk Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Madison, Wisconsin, part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Located on the east side of the city, it sits within a fast-growing, mid-sized state capital shaped by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, state government, healthcare, and technology. The district itself is the largest in Dane County, covering a mix of urban and suburban neighborhoods.

The student body at Black Hawk Middle draws from surrounding neighborhoods and reflects the city’s diversity. A substantial share of students come from low-income households, and the racial and ethnic makeup includes roughly equal portions of Black, white, and Hispanic students, alongside smaller groups of Asian and multiracial students. The school is about the size typical for a middle school in its grade band, with enrollment spread across the three grades.

Academically, Black Hawk Middle’s state test results for the most recent year sit well below the midpoint when placed against other districts in Dane County. Across tested subjects and grades, the overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile of the county’s public school districts. In mathematics, the share of students reaching proficiency varied by grade but remained in a range well under a third of tested students. In English language arts, results were somewhat higher, with the seventh-grade cohort showing the strongest performance among the three grades, though still below the county median. Science results for eighth graders were similarly low, while social studies proficiency was slightly better, with a rate approaching half of tested students. Participation rates on the state assessments were high, nearly universal, so the results reflect the full population rather than a selected group.

As a middle school, Black Hawk does not have a graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided records. Information on course offerings, special programs, and staffing was also absent, limiting the depth of what can be said about the school’s academic pathways and student support systems. A parent may want to follow up directly with the school or district to learn about elective options, advanced coursework, and any intervention programs.

The district itself, Madison Metropolitan, has a widely known reputation for progressive initiatives and a diverse portfolio of schools. A search for recent district developments, such as new school construction or major facilities investments, turned up little publicly available information in the source material. Similarly, no strategic priorities or recent bond measures were identified, so that part of the picture remains unclear.

Housing in the area reflects the broader Madison market, where home values have risen steadily over the past year and are above the national median. Rents have also increased, and the price-to-income ratio suggests that homeownership is a stretch for many households. The city’s rapid growth, driven by university expansion and technology-sector employment, continues to shape neighborhood character and school enrollment patterns.

For a family weighing options, Black Hawk Middle presents a school with a diverse student population and a high level of economic need. Its academic performance on state assessments is among the lower in the county, and no specialized program offerings or standout strengths were documented in the available data. The school is part of a large, established district in a thriving city, but the academic metrics suggest that a parent would want to explore what supports are in place and how the school compares to other middle schools within Madison. Without information on course access, discipline, or staffing, the full picture of the school’s environment remains incomplete.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 626%

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

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 45% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 42% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 50% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 49% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 52% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 48% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 60% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 26 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 6Lower-income21%Higher-income65%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income74%50 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income57%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income50%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income62%45 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income12%Higher-income48%36 pp gap