Madison Reporter

U.S. News & World Report has recognized five schools from the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) as among the top 30 in Wisconsin for their respective grade levels. These rankings were part of the annual "Best Elementary Schools," "Best Middle Schools," and "Best High Schools" lists.

Dr. Joe Gothard, MMSD's superintendent, stated, "These recognitions directly reflect our focus on students and commitment to helping them achieve their potential." He further emphasized that the achievements are a result of the dedication of both students and staff across the district.

Among elementary schools, Shorewood Hills ranked eighth, Van Hise placed 12th, and Randall was 29th out of more than 1,900 schools in Wisconsin. Their scores were 99.1, 98.9, and 97.2 out of a possible 100 points respectively. Velma Hamilton Middle School secured the 15th position among 1,456 middle schools with a score of 97.43.

In high school rankings, West High School achieved an overall score of 94.35, placing it at number 24 out of 569 eligible high schools in Wisconsin. This ranking puts it within the top five percent statewide. Vel Phillips Memorial scored an overall score of 86.86, earning it the rank of number 69 and placing it among the top thirteen percent.

Other noteworthy mentions include Marquette Elementary and Stephens Elementary which ranked within the top ten percent statewide for elementary schools and Spring Harbor Middle School which also placed in the top ten percent for middle schools.

The criteria for ranking elementary and middle schools focused primarily on proficiency in state-administered tests for math and reading performance. For high schools, factors such as college readiness, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance metrics, college curriculum breadth along with graduation rates were considered.

U.S. News & World Report has been publishing high school rankings since 2007 while rankings for elementary and middle schools began in 2021.