Rosendale Intermediate, Rosendale WI

Original Research by School Decision on Rosendale Intermediate

Rosendale Intermediate is a small regular public school within the Rosendale-Brandon School District, serving only fourth and fifth graders. Because it covers just these two grade levels, many of the metrics commonly used for older schools, such as a graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data, simply do not apply. The school sits in the village of Rosendale, a primarily residential community in Fond du Lac County with a rural feel, located at the junction of two state highways. The village has a modest downtown core and a few cultural anchors, including a historical society museum and the nationally recognized Sisson’s Peony Gardens. Housing in Rosendale is moderately priced relative to the state, and the community has been stable in size over the past two decades, with no major new development noted in publicly available information.

The student body is small, reflecting the size of the community, and is overwhelmingly white. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, pointing to a generally lower level of economic need compared to some other schools. The school functions as a bridge between primary and middle school grades, offering a focused intermediate setting.

On state assessments, Rosendale Intermediate shows a pattern that distinguishes math from reading. In mathematics, a strong majority of students meet or exceed the state’s proficiency standard, and results are solid in both fourth and fifth grades. In English language arts, the picture is more mixed: about half of students reach proficiency, which is notably lower than the math outcomes. Science and social studies results, available only for fourth grade, are solid, with a majority of students meeting the standard. The lower reading scores are a soft spot that a parent may want to ask about directly with the school, particularly around what literacy supports are available and how the school tracks progress for students who are not yet meeting expectations.

When compared to the other school districts in Fond du Lac County, Rosendale Intermediate’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of the range but below the median district’s average. In other words, the school performs better than the lowest-performing districts in the county but not as well as a typical district. This suggests solid, middle-tier academic outcomes within the local context.

The data available does not include information on special programs, gifted services, intervention models, or course access. Neither does it report on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or the share of students with disabilities or English learner status. These are meaningful gaps for a parent considering the school, and it would be reasonable to ask the school directly about how it supports varied learners. The district itself appears to have been stable in recent years, with no significant changes or initiatives reported publicly.

Rosendale Intermediate offers a tightly focused, small-school experience for the last two years of elementary school. Families who value a rural community setting, a modest cost of living, and a school where math performance is a clear strength may find it a good fit. Those for whom strong reading outcomes are a priority will want to dig deeper into the school’s approach to literacy instruction and intervention.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 67% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 77% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 53% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 62% · ▼ 10 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 57% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 71% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolRosendale-Brandon 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-income44%Higher-income46%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income57%44 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income55%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income46%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income32%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income43%13 pp gap