Is Henry W Cowherd Middle School a good school?

Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.9% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Henry W Cowherd Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 850 students attended Henry W Cowherd Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Henry W Cowherd Middle School?

Students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School are 84% Hispanic, 12% African American, 2% White, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Henry W Cowherd Middle School attend?

Students who attend Henry W Cowherd Middle School usually go on to attend East High School

Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Summary:

Henry W Cowherd Middle School is a public middle school located in Aurora, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 883 students. The school is part of the Aurora East Unified School District 131, which is ranked 785 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Henry W Cowherd Middle School consistently performs below the state and district averages in standardized test scores for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 15.8% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 41.2% statewide and 17.4% in the district. Similarly, only 5.8% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 28.4% statewide and 8.4% in the district. The school has also experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 4.9% in 2021-2022 to 25.4% in 2020-2021, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American and Hispanic students performing significantly worse than their peers.

When comparing Henry W Cowherd Middle School to other nearby schools in the same district, such as K.D. Waldo Middle School and C.F. Simmons Middle School, the performance gap is evident. These nearby schools, while still below state averages, generally outperform Henry W Cowherd Middle School in academic measures. The data also includes information about Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy, a higher-performing middle school in the same district, which highlights the potential impact of specialized programs and targeted resources on student achievement.

Detail:

Public 6-8

441 N Farnsworth Ave
Aurora, IL 60505-3010

(630) 299-5900

District: Aurora East Unified School District 131

SchoolDigger Rank:
1228^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,195

Students who attend Henry W Cowherd Middle School usually attend:

High:

East High School

Feeder schools for Henry W Cowherd Middle School:

Elementary:	C I Johnson Elementary School
	Oak Park Elementary School
	Olney C Allen Elementary School
	W S Beaupre Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 850

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.1%

African American:

12.1%

White:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.4%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Henry W Cowherd Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks worse than 90.1% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Aurora East Unified School District 131. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.06. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Henry W Cowherd Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Aurora East Unified School District 131. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (84.1%), African American (12.1%), White (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is 13. 2 middle schools in the Aurora East Unified School District 131 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Henry W Cowherd Middle School employs 65.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is $19,195, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Aurora East Unified School District 131!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Henry W Cowherd Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Henry W Cowherd Middle School 1228^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Henry W Cowherd Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Aurora East Unified School District 131:

SchoolDigger ranks Aurora East Unified School District 131 785^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Henry W Cowherd Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	7.21	1092^nd	1185	7.8%
2004	8.32	1089^th	1204	9.6%
2005	10.71	1054^th	1209	12.8%
2006	12.05	1124^th	1272	11.6%
2007	14.10	1122^nd	1287	12.8%
2008	16.89	1104^th	1293	14.6%
2009	16.40	1138^th	1318	13.7%
2010	17.09	1152^nd	1327	13.2%
2011	11.77	1236^th	1344	8.0%
2012	14.12	1223^rd	1365	10.4%
2013	13.63	1225^th	1367	10.4%
2014	13.63	1197^th	1322	9.5%
2015	15.39	1158^th	1302	11.1%
2016	13.09	1202^nd	1294	7.1%
2017	14.52	1162^nd	1293	10.1%
2018	14.50	1157^th	1293	10.5%
2019	19.00	1130^th	1356	16.7%
2021	16.60	1094^th	1241	11.8%
2022	18.34	1149^th	1369	16.1%
2023	16.00	1205^th	1367	11.9%
2024	15.06	1228^th	1363	9.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.65	234^th	285	17.9%
2019	28.07	320^th	339	5.6%
2021	36.85	194^th	277	30.0%
2022	28.56	402^nd	454	11.5%
2023	27.16	429^th	480	10.6%
2024	27.14	426^th	486	12.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.79	496^th	602	17.6%
2019	24.69	700^th	792	11.6%
2021	25.59	501^st	548	8.6%
2022	26.86	654^th	781	16.3%
2023	19.56	757^th	805	6.0%
2024	21.25	709^th	802	11.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.04	1012^th	1161	12.8%
2019	24.51	990^th	1217	18.7%
2021	21.37	899^th	1019	11.8%
2022	24.00	1013^th	1221	17.0%
2023	21.26	1064^th	1234	13.8%
2024	18.33	1088^th	1219	10.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.58	59^th	70	15.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.24	1120^th	1226	8.6%
2019	18.67	1060^th	1276	16.9%
2021	14.20	933^rd	1017	8.3%
2022	18.21	1088^th	1286	15.4%
2023	17.03	1096^th	1275	14.0%
2024	16.26	1095^th	1251	12.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.15	619^th	674	8.2%
2024	27.81	505^th	639	21.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	16.74	1064^th	1223	13.0%
2019	19.90	1063^rd	1296	18.0%
2021	17.09	935^th	1048	10.8%
2022	19.77	1048^th	1286	18.5%
2023	15.74	1155^th	1292	10.6%
2024	14.53	1165^th	1264	7.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	23.69	441^st	511	13.7%
2019	25.79	475^th	565	15.9%
2021	36.44	231^st	385	40.0%
2022	31.71	400^th	573	30.2%
2023	30.20	417^th	569	26.7%
2024	21.21	497^th	548	9.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	15.11	566^th	590	4.1%
2019	20.61	562^nd	639	12.1%
2021	18.75	479^th	517	7.4%
2022	20.06	596^th	662	10.0%
2023	17.61	607^th	661	8.2%
2024	17.44	583^rd	643	9.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	24.01	721^st	905	20.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Henry W Cowherd Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	106	179	6	280	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
1994	98	192	7	264	0	n/a	n/a	0	561
1995	84	169	12	259	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
1996	84	169	12	259	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
1997	72	163	5	245	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
1998	81	155	6	255	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
1999	70	146	4	293	2	n/a	n/a	0	515
2000	64	145	4	356	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2001	55	145	6	369	2	n/a	n/a	0	577
2002	58	155	6	572	2	n/a	n/a	0	793
2003	58	155	6	572	2	n/a	n/a	0	793
2004	60	127	6	603	2	n/a	n/a	0	798
2005	55	134	6	609	1	n/a	n/a	3	808
2006	51	133	4	622	4	n/a	n/a	5	819
2007	45	130	6	699	4	n/a	n/a	13	897
2008	47	125	3	736	3	n/a	n/a	10	924
2009	38	104	6	733	1	n/a	n/a	20	902
2010	42	117	4	760	1	n/a	n/a	29	953
2011	48	110	8	801	0	0	29	0	996
2012	45	135	13	855	5	0	11	0	1064
2013	39	112	11	896	8	0	17	0	1083
2014	27	118	5	812	3	0	19	0	984
2015	22	109	5	813	4	1	21	0	975
2016	20	121	6	819	4	1	18	0	989
2017	18	99	9	829	4	1	10	0	970
2018	24	93	8	815	3	0	7	0	950
2019	26	92	12	842	5	0	11	0	988
2020	26	80	11	818	5	0	12	0	952
2021	18	88	7	814	3	2	14	0	946
2022	18	109	7	778	0	0	9	0	921
2023	15	112	7	741	1	1	6	0	883
2024	15	103	6	715	1	1	9	0	850

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Henry W Cowherd Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	571	14.8	38.6	n/a
1994	561	15.3	36.7	n/a
1995	524	19.0	27.6	n/a
1996	524	19.0	27.6	n/a
1997	485	19.3	25.1	n/a
1998	497	20.0	24.9	n/a
1999	515	26.0	19.8	n/a
2000	571	30.9	18.5	n/a
2001	577	30.3	19.0	n/a
2002	793	29.8	26.6	75.2
2003	793	29.8	26.6	75.2
2004	798	35.8	22.3	78.3
2005	808	49.0	16.5	78.5
2006	819	48.0	17.1	73.7
2007	897	70.0	12.8	79.3
2008	924	54.0	17.1	75.9
2009	902	62.1	14.5	97.7
2010	953	71.8	13.2	85.9
2011	996	72.0	13.8	72.5
2012	1064	71.0	14.9	83.1
2013	1083	n/a	n/a	90.9
2014	984	67.0	14.6	70.7
2015	975	68.0	14.3	81.7
2016	989	66.0	14.9	63.7
2017	970	69.0	14.0	75.5
2018	950	65.3	14.5	73.3
2019	988	65.5	15.0	69.4
2020	952	61.7	15.4	68.5
2021	946	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	921	63.5	14.4	66.7
2023	883	64.4	13.6	72.3
2024	850	65.2	13.0	72.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Henry W Cowherd Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	571	14.8	38.6	n/a
1994	561	15.3	36.7	n/a
1995	524	19.0	27.6	n/a
1996	524	19.0	27.6	n/a
1997	485	19.3	25.1	n/a
1998	497	20.0	24.9	n/a
1999	515	26.0	19.8	n/a
2000	571	30.9	18.5	n/a
2001	577	30.3	19.0	n/a
2002	793	29.8	26.6	75.2
2003	793	29.8	26.6	75.2
2004	798	35.8	22.3	78.3
2005	808	49.0	16.5	78.5
2006	819	48.0	17.1	73.7
2007	897	70.0	12.8	79.3
2008	924	54.0	17.1	75.9
2009	902	62.1	14.5	97.7
2010	953	71.8	13.2	85.9
2011	996	72.0	13.8	72.5
2012	1064	71.0	14.9	83.1
2013	1083	n/a	n/a	90.9
2014	984	67.0	14.6	70.7
2015	975	68.0	14.3	81.7
2016	989	66.0	14.9	63.7
2017	970	69.0	14.0	75.5
2018	950	65.3	14.5	73.3
2019	988	65.5	15.0	69.4
2020	952	61.7	15.4	68.5
2021	946	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	921	63.5	14.4	66.7
2023	883	64.4	13.6	72.3
2024	850	65.2	13.0	72.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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