Photo by Richard Hurd
State Report Cards Highlight Continued Growth in MMSD Schools
MADISON, Wis.—Today, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its annual report cards for the 2024–25 school year. The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) earned an overall rating of three stars, with a score of 69.8.
MMSD is, by far, the largest and most diverse district in Dane County, serving more than 25,000 students (16,559 more than the second-largest Dane County district, Sun Prairie Area). Of those students, 46.1% are identified as economically disadvantaged (compared to 9.3% in Waunakee Area Community and 17.2% in Middleton-Cross Plains Area school districts) and 21.4% are English learners (compared to 14.1% in Verona Area and 2.6% in Oregon school districts). For a complete listing of ratings/scores and demographic information for all Dane County districts, please click here.
The majority of MMSD schools met, exceeded, or significantly exceeded expectations. Notably, all four of MMSD’s comprehensive high schools earned ratings of four stars (“Exceeds Expectations”), with East, Robert M. La Follette, Vel Phillips Memorial and West achieving overall scores of 82.0, 72.0, 78.8 and 78.1, respectively.
| High School | Enrollment | Overall Score | Rating (Stars/Performance vs. Expectations) |
| East | 1,643 | 82.0 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| La Follette | 1,541 | 72.0 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Memorial | 2,004 | 78.8 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| West | 2,222 | 78.1 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Belleville | 275 | 70.2 | 3 Stars/Meets |
| De Forest | 1,137 | 76.4 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Marshall | 281 | 67.2 | 3 Stars/Meets |
| McFarland | 727 | 74.8 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Middleton | 2,303 | 86.8 | 5 Stars/Significantly Exceeds |
| Monona Grove | 1,170 | 79.0 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Mount Horeb | 745 | 81.5 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Oregon | 1,339 | 85.1 | 5 Stars/Significantly Exceeds |
| Stoughton | 834 | 73.0 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Sun Prairie East | 1,340 | 76.0 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Sun Prairie West | 1,325 | 78.7 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Verona Area | 1,820 | 80.3 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Waunakee | 1,335 | 80.5 | 4 Stars/Exceeds |
| Wisconsin Heights | 238 | 88.6 | 5 Stars/Significantly Exceeds |
“MMSD continues to make meaningful progress in our students’ academic growth,” said Superintendent Joe Gothard. “We are committed to finding ways to strengthen teaching and learning while supporting all of our scholars, so they can be successful at whatever they choose to do, whether it’s college or career.”
Because DPI updated how scores are calculated this year, districts are asked to treat the overall scores in this year’s report cards as a new baseline, meaning that they should not be compared to previous years. An exception is the overall score for Growth, which measures student progress on statewide tests, and according to DPI, “uses a value-added model that seeks to control for circumstances beyond the influence of educators.”
In this area, MMSD improved 1.9 percentage points, or 2.9%, scoring the same or better than 91.8% of other Wisconsin districts, showing that, per DPI, “on average students in the district are progressing more quickly than other, similar students.”
MMSD high school students also outpaced their statewide peers in terms of participation in:
- Advanced Placement courses (30.8% vs. 20.3%)
- Art and design courses (32.8% vs. 27.0%)
- Dance (1.2% vs. 0.4%) and theater courses (3.3, vs. 1.8%)
MMSD’s overall scores were as follows:
- Achievement: 61.0
- Growth: 76.5
- Target Group Outcomes: 63.7
- On-Track to Graduation: 73.4
Across Dane County, two school districts earned five stars, 11 earned four stars, and two (including MMSD) received three stars. Numerical scores ranged from 69.8 to 84.6.
“We are encouraged by the demonstrated growth that this report shows, particularly as we move further past the pandemic and our scholars progress in fully readjusting to in-classroom learning,” said Dr. Carlettra Stanford, assistant superintendent of schools and learning. “With a strong educational foundation and support and guidance from our world-class educators, our Madison students will continue to learn, grow and thrive.”
In total, two MMSD schools achieved ratings of “Significantly Exceeds Expectations”; 19 “Exceeds Expectations”; 19 “Meets Expectations”; six “Meets Few Expectations”; and one “Fails to Meet Expectations.” Six schools participated in the Alternate Rating process, five of which scored “Satisfactory” progress, with one scoring “Needs Improvement.”
Report cards are released each fall under state law, as part of Wisconsin’s school accountability system. Schools and districts receive a star rating, from one to five stars, based on their overall score. Ratings are determined across four priority areas identified by the Department of Public Instruction: achievement, growth, target group outcomes, and on-track to graduation.
All MMSD report cards are available to view on the MMSD website.
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About the Madison Metropolitan School District
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.