Poynette Middle, Poynette WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Poynette Middle

Poynette Middle serves grades five through eight on a shared campus with the elementary school and high school, all on North Cleveland Street in this small Columbia County village. The school is one piece of the Poynette School District, which also includes an elementary school in nearby Arlington. For a family considering the area, the middle school sits in a village that has grown steadily in recent years, with rising home values and a compact downtown where the village hall, library, and a seasonal farmers market anchor civic life. The village is part of the Madison metropolitan statistical area, but the character is clearly small-town and agricultural.

The student body reflects that setting. Enrollment is modest for a middle school serving four grade levels. The student population is predominantly white, with small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Roughly a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is relatively low compared to many districts. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent wanting a complete picture of special education or language support services would want to ask the school directly.

On state assessments, results vary by subject and grade. In math, fifth graders posted a very strong proficiency rate, with the large majority of students meeting or exceeding the state standard. Scores in grades six, seven, and eight were lower but still solid, with roughly two-thirds of students proficient in each of those grades. In English language arts, performance was more consistent across grades, with about two-thirds of students reaching proficiency in each grade level, rising slightly in the upper grades. Eighth graders also take science and social studies tests; proficiency in science was at roughly three-fifths, while social studies results were considerably stronger. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile among districts in Columbia County, meaning it compares favorably with its immediate neighbors.

A few notes about what is missing. Because Poynette Middle serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report and no data on chronic absenteeism. The comparison set used is the county’s districts, which is a reasonable local benchmark. The district brief turned up no recent changes of lasting impact to report, so families should not expect any major structural shifts in the near term. Housing values in the area have risen, reflecting broader trends in south-central Wisconsin, and the local economy has been stable.

This school fits a family looking for a small middle school in a rural village setting with academic results that are generally above average for the county. The standout strength is the fifth-grade math performance, but the overall picture is one of consistent, if not spectacular, proficiency across subjects. A parent concerned about science scores at the eighth-grade level may want to ask how the school supports that subject, but the broader pattern is that Poynette Middle holds its own against other Columbia County schools. The lack of detailed information on special populations and the absence of program offerings in the data mean that families with specific needs or looking for particular electives or enrichment should contact the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 593%

School 93% · District 93%

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 19 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 17 pts above state median

Science

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 78%

▲ 14 pts above state median

This schoolPoynette 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 5Lower-income46%Higher-income68%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income76%52 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income72%Higher-income65%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income73%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income82%Higher-income95%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income78%55 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income61%Higher-income70%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income79%35 pp gap