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Average

#988 of 2,105 schools in WI

Top 47% in state

Cherokee Heights Middle

Middle School · Madison Metropolitan School District · Madison, WI

A Madison Metropolitan School District middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

4301 Cherokee Dr, Madison, WI 53711

  • Math 38% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 45% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.0Excellent40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.11 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics5.6Average35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency37.8% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency44.8% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg-14.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-8 pts
Overall Proficiency41% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)44% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected-2.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile38th
Resources & Environment6.3Average25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11.9:1
District spending per student$17,411
Chronic Absenteeism41%

Students at Cherokee Heights Middle score 41% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 44%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency38%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency45%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 7 points since 2020, reaching 41% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
71%
2010
Math
63%
ELA
72%
2011
Math
36%
ELA
29%
2012
Math
35%
ELA
32%
2013
Math
36%
ELA
30%
2014
Math
27%
ELA
38%
2015
Math
26%
ELA
26%
2016
Math
30%
ELA
27%
2017
Math
34%
ELA
34%
2018
Math
37%
ELA
38%
2019
Math
37%
ELA
38%
2020*
Math
30%
ELA
38%
2021*
Math
30%
ELA
38%
2022
Math
29%
ELA
41%
2025
Math
38%
ELA
45%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 40% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

47.9%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Cherokee Heights Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 50Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 38Some Transit
  • Bike 86Very Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,124/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Madison), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$101,236

Median home value

$387,600

Median rent

$1,357/mo

College educated

66%

Homeownership

62%

Poverty rate

7.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 53711; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Toki MiddleEnrollment path unverified7.06–81.4 mi538Compare →
Hamilton MiddleEnrollment path unverified7.56–81.7 mi768Compare →
James Wright MiddleEnrollment path unverified6.46–82.5 mi259Compare →
Savanna Oaks MiddleEnrollment path unverified7.56–82.7 mi380Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Madison Metropolitan School District

Schools in district
54
Rank in district
#24 of 52
District spending per student
$17,411NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Cherokee Heights Middle is listed in Madison Metropolitan School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Cherokee Heights Middle

Cherokee Heights Middle is a public middle school in Madison, WI, part of Madison Metropolitan School District, serving approximately 537 students in grades 6th-8th with a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 out of 10 and ranks #988 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 40% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cherokee Heights Middle

What grades does Cherokee Heights Middle serve?

Cherokee Heights Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Cherokee Heights Middle?

Cherokee Heights Middle has an enrollment of approximately 537 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Heights Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Heights Middle is 11.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cherokee Heights Middle rank in WI?

Cherokee Heights Middle ranks #988 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Cherokee Heights Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Cherokee Heights Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cherokee Heights Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cherokee Heights Middle has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 40% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cherokee Heights Middle a charter school?

No, Cherokee Heights Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cherokee Heights Middle a Title I school?

No, Cherokee Heights Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cherokee Heights Middle?

47.9% of students at Cherokee Heights Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
537
Student-Teacher Ratio
11.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
45
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Dane County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
41.0%
Area population (ZIP 53711)
50,474
Area average commute
19.3 min
Area median age
38.3
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 53711; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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