A study that came out in late October to little fanfare shows that we have something to be quite proud of in Rockford.

Thurgood Marshall Middle School at 4664 North Rockton was named the top middle school in Illinois according to a new study from SchoolDigger.

The school jumped from the sixth spot in 2016 to the top this year with average standard scores of 99.9. I'm not a rocket scientist, but that number is ridiculously good and nearly perfect.

Creatas, ThinkStock
Creatas, ThinkStock
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It's obvious, but worth mentioning, the kids are incredibly gifted at Marshall, probably some of the brightest young minds in Rockford. However, what the teachers at Marshall manage to do with classes so largely populated is nothing short of remarkable.

How remarkable? There are 556 students at Marshall Middle School, and RPS 205 employs 22 full-time teachers at the school per the SchoolDigger study. That's a 25.2 student to teacher ratio.

Long story short, there's 25 students for every one teacher at Marshall, nearly 7 kids per full-time teacher higher than the 2nd ranked school in Illinois, Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center.

New Study Shows The Top Middle School In Illinois Is In Rockford
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Matter of fact, only 14 schools in the entire state have a higher student to teacher ratio in the study, and the next closest was ranked 373rd best.

Something is definitely happening at Marshall Middle School. As an outsider, I can't quite put figure it out. Whatever it is, I recommend them to keep it up. We can't wait to see what these Rockford students (and their teachers) do next.

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Sweet Lenny is the brand manager of 97ZOK and Operations Manager for Townsquare Media Rockford. Catch him afternoons 3 to 7 on 97ZOK. Follow him on TwitterInstagram and like his page on Facebook.

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