DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – The report cards are in for Iowa’s schools.
The Iowa Department of Education grades schools based on proficiency in English language arts, mathematics, and science, as well as academic growth and attendance, among other benchmarks, categorizing schools into six categories. The state rates schools, from highest to lowest, as “exceptional,” “high performing,” “commendable,” “acceptable,” “needs improvement,” or “priority.”
78.5% of Iowa’s schools performed at an “acceptable” rating or better in the 2024-25 school year, up from 67.6% of schools in the 2023-24 school year. More than 40% of Iowa’s schools have moved up one or more categories from year to year.
Across the 1,276 schools tracked statewide:
- 73.6% of students were proficient in English language arts in 2024-25, up from 72.7% in 2023-24.
- 70.9% of students were proficient in mathematics in 2024-25, up from 69.8% in 2023-24.
- 67.1% of students were proficient in science in 2024-25, up from 61.6% in 2023-24.
- 15.8% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, down from 21.6% in 2023-24.
While the improvement is reason to celebrate, Dubuque Community School District Executive Director of Elementary Education Lisa Feltes says how each individual student is doing needs closer attention.
“As a parent, I would ask about that. How is my child doing? Are they meeting the mark? Do they have some gaps and, if so, what can we do together to close those gaps to accelerate their learning?” says Feltes.
Even for schools that receive a “priority” or “needs improvement” designation, Feltes says parents can celebrate growth.
For example, Prescott Elementary School in Dubuque received a “priority” designation each of the last two years, which is the lowest rating a school can receive.
Feltes points out by looking at the designation alone fails to show students at Prescott grew 9.5% more proficient in science, 7.8% more proficient in math, and 6.5% more proficient in English language arts, while chronic absenteeism decreased by 14.4% from year-to-year.
“It’s a celebration of where we’re going, rather than being penalized or labeled in any way, shape, or form. It just gives us information to help us know where those pockets are, so we can enhance that instruction and move forward,” says Feltes.
You can view the state report or see the breakdown by school and district here.
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