Etude Middle, Sheboygan WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Etude Middle

Etude Middle is a public charter school in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, serving grades six through eight as part of the Sheboygan Area School District. The school is small by middle school standards, with an enrollment that reflects a close-knit student body. It is a regular public school operating under a charter, which typically gives it some flexibility in curriculum and instruction, though the data available does not detail specific program offerings.

The student body is majority white, with a notable Hispanic share and smaller numbers of Black, American Indian, and multiracial students. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, giving the school a moderate level of economic diversity. Information on the share of students with disabilities or English learner status was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and the supports available.

State testing results for the most recent school year show a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency among sixth graders was relatively low, while seventh graders performed stronger, with around half meeting the state standard. Eighth graders fell somewhere in between. In English language arts, the pattern reversed somewhat: sixth and seventh graders posted results near the middle mark, and eighth graders had the highest proficiency of any tested group across subjects, with a clear majority meeting the standard. Science and social studies are tested only in eighth grade, and in both subjects, proficiency landed just below half of students. Compared with other districts in Sheboygan County, Etude Middle’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quarter. That is a data point worth exploring with the school, especially given the variation by grade and subject.

Because Etude Middle serves only middle school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and state data on chronic absenteeism and discipline was not available. These are gaps a family would want to fill through a visit or conversation with school staff.

The school sits in Sheboygan, a mid-sized Lake Michigan port city with a manufacturing and maritime heritage. The city has a traditional downtown grid, a developed lakefront with parks and a marina, and a mix of cultural anchors including an arts center and performing arts venue. Housing values in the area are below the state median, and the local rental market has seen notable increases. The Sheboygan Area School District has experienced a sustained enrollment decline in recent years, which has affected class sizes and staffing decisions. At the same time, the district is implementing a new state-mandated early literacy curriculum aligned with Wisconsin’s Act 20, a shift that primarily affects elementary grades but signals a district-wide focus on reading instruction.

For families considering Etude Middle, the key characteristics are clear. It is a small charter school within a larger urban district, set in a city with strong community identity and moderate housing costs. Academically, the school shows pockets of strength, especially in eighth grade English language arts, but overall performance relative to surrounding districts is below the midpoint. A parent should look into what the charter model means for teaching approaches, how the school supports students who are not yet meeting state standards, and what programs and electives are available given the small size. The grade-level variation in test results suggests that the experience and outcomes may differ meaningfully from one year to the next.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 46% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 49% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 42% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 43%

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

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 48% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 48% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 41% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 51% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

This schoolSheboygan Area 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-income47%Higher-income33%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income75%61 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income100%59 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income17%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income63%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income88%58 pp gap