Gilbert Middle School Ranks No. 1 in Iowa
U.S. News & World Report ranked Gilbert Middle School first among Iowa middle schools based on state test performance.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
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U.S. News & World Report has named Gilbert Middle School the top middle school in Iowa. The ranking is based on student performance on state mathematics and reading assessments.
Why it matters
The ranking highlights strong proficiency results for Gilbert students in the Gilbert School District, which serves a population larger than the town itself. For families in the Gilbert area and surrounding communities, it offers a measure of how the school compares statewide.
The school enrolls about 408 students, with 91% scoring proficient or above in math and 96% in reading on state assessments. The extraction does not indicate how many Iowa middle schools were included in the comparison.
The players
U.S. News & World Report
A U.S. media company known for its annual rankings of colleges, hospitals, and schools, which evaluates institutions using publicly available performance data.
The details
U.S. News & World Report ranks schools using state-required test performance, graduation rates, and preparation for high school, and in this case the ranking reflects mathematics and reading/language arts results. Teachers at the school meet weekly and monthly to build team spirit and address student needs.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Article reporting the ranking was published.
Season Trajectory
U.S. News & World Report's school rankings draw on state test results, graduation rates, and high school preparation, the same metrics used across its annual national lists. Gilbert Middle School's first-place finish places it at the top of Iowa's middle schools under that methodology.
Families considering enrollment in the Gilbert School District can use this ranking as one data point when comparing Iowa middle schools. The ranking reflects state test performance and does not capture every factor relevant to a student's learning environment.
The takeaway
Test-based rankings offer one measurable snapshot of school performance, and families may find it useful to weigh them alongside visits, teacher interactions, and other local factors when evaluating a middle school.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how schools like Gilbert Middle School are evaluated.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Who13.
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