MONROE - With news recently that the Monroe Alternative Charter School failed to reach adequate yearly progress as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, school district leaders say they are keeping the matter in perspective.
Cory Hirsbrunner, the Monroe School District's director of curriculum and instruction, acknowledged that the charter school didn't meet proficiency targets in reading and math in the recent Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations.
But she said that data doesn't look at the entire picture.
"The WKCE is one data point," Hirsbrunner said. "We look at multiple data points. We look at the growth of a student from the beginning of the year to the end of the year."
Under NCLB, the Monroe charter school was one of 228 schools and six school districts in the state that did not meet AYP. There were 89 schools and three districts identified for improvement for missing AYP for the second straight year.
However, 71 of those schools receive Title I funding and could ultimately receive sanctions.
The AYP requirement for schools and school districts is to have a proficiency of 80.5 percent in reading and 68.5 percent in math, have 95 percent of students enrolled taking statewide reading and math assessments, and have a graduation rate of 85 percent or show growth of at least two percent from the prior year.
The Monroe Virtual School was also on the list for AYP improvement. Hirsbrunner said the virtual school met each one of the standards, but was on the list because they have to show graduation rate improvement for two years before the school can be removed. The graduation rate at the virtual school went from 54 percent last year to 59 percent this year, Hirsbrunner said.
Progress made
Hirsbrunner said the district has to take into account that only five sophomores of the 40 students at the charter school were required to take the test. And she pointed out that proficiency levels for meeting AYP in the NCLB also increased this year from 74 to 80.5 percent in reading; and from 58 to 68.5 percent in math. By 2014, the NCLB requires that all students be proficient.
"If they (charter school students) didn't have any needs, they would be at the high school," Hirsbrunner said. "Each student has their own story. It's about meeting each students' individual needs. We are looking at our curriculum and instruction at the virtual school and charter school."
The district, she said, uses five assessment tools to assess students including the WKCE, Measure of Academic Progress test, EXPLORE test for eighth graders and freshmen, the PLAN test for college readiness for sophomores and the ACT test.
Restructuring underway
The district also is in the midst of a restructuring at the charter school. The Monroe Virtual School is being moved into the charter school building. The alternative charter school, located in a former strip mall near Monroe Middle School, currently has about 40 high school students enrolled. The virtual school has 297 enrolled in the online programming.
The district first considered the feasibility of moving the charter school into the confines of the high school building last year. A virtual/charter school task force recommended closing the portable classrooms at Northside Elementary School and moving the virtual school to a "school within a school model" at the charter school.
However, both schools will retain their own identity, but there will be some collaboration among teachers. The virtual school is moving to a blended learning lab. Students at the virtual school will be given the opportunity to meet in person with teachers in subject areas they need assistance. Hirsbrunner said some virtual school teachers will work with charter school students.
"They will have the best of both worlds," Hirsbrunner said of the virtual school students. "They can come in and get extra help in a certain area and can still take classes online. I think that bringing the two (schools) together will enhance what we have going on in both locations."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said in February the district could save just under $10,000 in heating and other costs by closing the portable classrooms at Northside and moving the virtual school downtown.
The district is expected to move the virtual school into the charter school the week of July 18. The district also plans to increase some work study options.
"I think the students will benefit from that," Hirsbrunner said.
Cory Hirsbrunner, the Monroe School District's director of curriculum and instruction, acknowledged that the charter school didn't meet proficiency targets in reading and math in the recent Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations.
But she said that data doesn't look at the entire picture.
"The WKCE is one data point," Hirsbrunner said. "We look at multiple data points. We look at the growth of a student from the beginning of the year to the end of the year."
Under NCLB, the Monroe charter school was one of 228 schools and six school districts in the state that did not meet AYP. There were 89 schools and three districts identified for improvement for missing AYP for the second straight year.
However, 71 of those schools receive Title I funding and could ultimately receive sanctions.
The AYP requirement for schools and school districts is to have a proficiency of 80.5 percent in reading and 68.5 percent in math, have 95 percent of students enrolled taking statewide reading and math assessments, and have a graduation rate of 85 percent or show growth of at least two percent from the prior year.
The Monroe Virtual School was also on the list for AYP improvement. Hirsbrunner said the virtual school met each one of the standards, but was on the list because they have to show graduation rate improvement for two years before the school can be removed. The graduation rate at the virtual school went from 54 percent last year to 59 percent this year, Hirsbrunner said.
Progress made
Hirsbrunner said the district has to take into account that only five sophomores of the 40 students at the charter school were required to take the test. And she pointed out that proficiency levels for meeting AYP in the NCLB also increased this year from 74 to 80.5 percent in reading; and from 58 to 68.5 percent in math. By 2014, the NCLB requires that all students be proficient.
"If they (charter school students) didn't have any needs, they would be at the high school," Hirsbrunner said. "Each student has their own story. It's about meeting each students' individual needs. We are looking at our curriculum and instruction at the virtual school and charter school."
The district, she said, uses five assessment tools to assess students including the WKCE, Measure of Academic Progress test, EXPLORE test for eighth graders and freshmen, the PLAN test for college readiness for sophomores and the ACT test.
Restructuring underway
The district also is in the midst of a restructuring at the charter school. The Monroe Virtual School is being moved into the charter school building. The alternative charter school, located in a former strip mall near Monroe Middle School, currently has about 40 high school students enrolled. The virtual school has 297 enrolled in the online programming.
The district first considered the feasibility of moving the charter school into the confines of the high school building last year. A virtual/charter school task force recommended closing the portable classrooms at Northside Elementary School and moving the virtual school to a "school within a school model" at the charter school.
However, both schools will retain their own identity, but there will be some collaboration among teachers. The virtual school is moving to a blended learning lab. Students at the virtual school will be given the opportunity to meet in person with teachers in subject areas they need assistance. Hirsbrunner said some virtual school teachers will work with charter school students.
"They will have the best of both worlds," Hirsbrunner said of the virtual school students. "They can come in and get extra help in a certain area and can still take classes online. I think that bringing the two (schools) together will enhance what we have going on in both locations."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said in February the district could save just under $10,000 in heating and other costs by closing the portable classrooms at Northside and moving the virtual school downtown.
The district is expected to move the virtual school into the charter school the week of July 18. The district also plans to increase some work study options.
"I think the students will benefit from that," Hirsbrunner said.