Cowles Elementary School
Score 90.4/100: better than 90% of Iowa schools on 2024-25 state tests. Schools are only compared with others of the same type in the same state. There are too few K-8 schools in Iowa to compare like with like, so this school is compared with all scored schools in the state. How we score schools
Performance (state tests, 2024-25)
% proficient on state tests in Iowa, all students. Colored bars are green when the school is at or above the average for similar Iowa schools.
All 14 published results by grade and test
As published by Iowa Department of Education. "Hidden" means the state didn't publish the result to protect student privacy.
| Subject | Grade | Test | Result | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English language arts | Grade 3 | ISASP/DLM | 62.2 | 37 |
| English language arts | Grade 4 | ISASP/DLM | 97 | 33 |
| English language arts | Grade 5 | ISASP/DLM | 93.3 | 30 |
| English language arts | Grade 6 | ISASP/DLM | 85.2 | 27 |
| English language arts | Grade 7 | ISASP/DLM | 93.8 | 32 |
| English language arts | Grade 8 | ISASP/DLM | 100 | 31 |
| Math | Grade 3 | ISASP/DLM | 70.3 | 37 |
| Math | Grade 4 | ISASP/DLM | 84.8 | 33 |
| Math | Grade 5 | ISASP/DLM | 83.3 | 30 |
| Math | Grade 6 | ISASP/DLM | 77.8 | 27 |
| Math | Grade 7 | ISASP/DLM | 93.8 | 32 |
| Math | Grade 8 | ISASP/DLM | 96.8 | 31 |
| Science | Grade 5 | ISASP/DLM | 83.3 | 30 |
| Science | Grade 8 | ISASP/DLM | 96.8 | 31 |
School profile
- Grades
- PK-8
- Students
- 403
- Type
- K-8 school
- Charter school
- No
- Program
- Regular
Students
District and location
Contact
Des Moines, IA 50324
"Typical" is the middle (median) K-8 school in Iowa. Higher or lower is not in itself better or worse. Address, phone and website are as the state reported them to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024-25, so check with the school before visiting. School details: U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data (enrollment 2023-24, lunch eligibility 2024-25).
Explore schools around Des Moines
Location
Official sources
Every figure on this page comes from published government data. Check the originals here; we refresh when states release new results.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD): school directory, grades served, enrollment and free/reduced-price lunch, 2023-24 and 2024-25. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Cowles Elementary School at a glance
Cowles Elementary School is a public K-8 school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades PK-8. It is part of Des Moines Independent Comm School District. It has about 403 students (a typical Iowa K-8 school has 27). About 20% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, compared with 12% at a typical Iowa K-8 school, which is useful context when reading test results.
In 2024-25 state tests, 88% in English language arts (similar schools: 80%) and 84% in math (similar schools: 82%) reached the state standard (% proficient). On our score, which compares it only with other Iowa schools, it scores 90.4 out of 100: better than 90% of them, ranking #1 of 2. This overview is generated automatically from published state and federal data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official sources above.
Page updated 2026-10-12.