MONROE — The School District of Monroe received some positive news from the Wisconsin Department of Education (DPI) on Nov. 14: The annual district report card saw a score increase of 3.5, earning a “meets expectations” rating.
The DPI’s ratings are on a scale from 0-100 but do not represent a “percent correct” measurement, like a normal classroom grading scale would. Instead, it is an aggregate of four priority areas that are weighted based on demographics and school size. Schools or districts are assigned one of five rating categories, ranging from “Fails to Meet Expectations” to “Significantly Exceeds Expectations”, each corresponding to one to five stars.
The district has conducted an in-depth analysis of the District and School Report Card results, and a detailed review will be presented at an upcoming Board of Education Curriculum Committee meeting.
Monroe scored a 66.6 overall in 2023-23, up from 63.1 the year before. The district had a score of 59.7 in 2020-21, and no scores were given out for 2019-20, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, due to the pandemic, the DPI added a caveat to all scores for the years ending in 2021 and 2022, as the level of in-person instruction and localized COVID-19 policies varied across the state.
“This positive shift can be attributed to the score increases in the student growth and target group outcomes categories,” the district said in a press release. “This achievement not only provides motivation, but also serves as a testament to our collective dedication to advancing academic excellence and ensuring every student is equipped with the skills they need to succeed.”
In the past decade, Monroe saw a downward trend begin in its scores after 2016-17, when it had a mark of 80.4. The pandemic only exacerbated the lower scores. However, changes in school instruction, including placing a higher emphasis on interventionist educators, has helped see the numbers begin to rise again.
“While our district has consistently outperformed the state average in student achievement, growth and target group outcomes were identified as areas needing improvement,” the district’s press release said. “As a result, the district has directed its efforts over the past two years towards two pivotal goals. First, there has been a strategic focus on the implementation of Professional Learning Communities, aiming to enhance core programming by adopting a more targeted approach. This approach is designed to equip students with essential skills, ensuring their success in any chosen pathway after high school.
“Second, the district has dedicated resources and time to develop comprehensive support systems across all five of our schools. These systems are geared towards providing enhanced support to students requiring additional help in both academics and social-emotional learning.”
Deliberately, a district-wide initiative to better serve its English Learner population was started, and significant progress has followed. The district has expanded the enhanced support system program into other key areas across the district this year.
“We are confident that these efforts will contribute to an even more supportive and enriching educational experience for all our students,” the district’s press release said.
At the elementary level, all three district schools saw growth on their individual report cards from the DPI. Parkside rose 10.9 points — the largest improvement among the schools, and a rating of “Exceeds Expectations.” Northside and Abraham Lincoln were rated as “Significantly Exceeds Expectations.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the collective efforts of our principals, teachers, support staff, parents/guardians, and everyone contributing to the success of our youngest learners,” said Todd Paradis, Director of Curriculum & Instruction. “The dedication to intensive professional development and adjustments to the English Language Arts curriculum over the past two years is truly paying off, and I am thrilled to witness the positive outcomes resulting from their hard work.”
Monroe High School saw its rating rise from a 50 to 56.
“While there is reason for celebration about the progress at Monroe High School, it is important to note that much work remains to be done,” the district’s press release said.
The MHS report card score is negatively impacted by the growth and target group priority areas. This suggests that attention must be paid to the alignment of grade-level standards and ensure the appropriate instructional delivery of this content.
“I am incredibly proud of the hard work that has been done by the MHS staff,” said Jeriamy Jackson, Monroe High School Principal. “We recognize the importance of this report card score, and take this matter very seriously. A significant amount of time, effort, creativity, and emotion have been poured into our efforts to improve student outcomes. I’m confident that we will continue to improve, and we know that if we secure a similar gain next year we will realize an improvement to our accountability rating.”
Saying “it is clear that MHS needs a more responsive system to address the needs of the most at-risk students,” the district said work is already underway. Curriculum is being evaluated, standards alignment is being reexamined, instructional practices are being audited, resources are being reallocated, and a comprehensive intervention system has been implemented, the press release said.
The only school in the district in decline was the middle school, which saw a decrease of two points. The middle school still received a “Meets Expectations” rating, and the district said that despite the two-point dip, the numbers are still up over the previous three school years and “consistently surpasses the state average for all middle schools.”
The minor decrease in the overall score, according to the district, is primarily attributed to a decline in target group outcomes, focusing on the lowest-performing 25% of students.
“A targeted improvement plan is already in motion, with ongoing efforts this school year to revamp support systems, particularly addressing ELA and math achievement gaps. This plan has already resulted in over 100 at-risk students receiving services that previously would not have received intervention,” the district said.