Wautoma Area School District Fueled for 2024-2025 Report Card
By: Jewel Mucklin, District Administrator
For the past three years, the Wautoma Area School District has Exceeded Expectations according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Report Card; however, for 2023-2024 WASD missed Exceeded Expectations by 0.1, as the District earned a 69.9 score. “It is always exciting waiting for the Report Cards to be released. To see that we were so close to maintaining our rating with a difference of one tenth of a percent was difficult. There was so much learning and work done by our students and staff last year,” said District Administrator Jewel Mucklin. “The District’s data ultimately showed that our achievement and on-track to graduation scores are increasing. Value-added scores focus on being greater than the 3.0 average; there are many target groups that are wavering just below and above the 3.0.”
Annually, the Wisconsin DPI releases school and district report cards to the public as a measure of accountability and performance. Each school and the district overall is issued a score based on four priority areas: 1) achievement, 2) growth, 3) target group outcomes, and 4) on-track to graduation.
Priority Area Overview:
Achievement: In the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics, achievement is based on student proficiency, as it measures the knowledge and skills among students assessed.
Growth: In the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics, growth is based on a student’s improvement in his/her performance from one year to another. The standards the student is being assessed on are different due to the change in grade.
Target Group Outcomes: The target group focuses on students with the lowest scores in each school, calculating their achievement, growth, attendance, and graduation rates:
On-Track to Graduation: This priority area highlights key milestones aligned to postsecondary success. Key criteria includes: 1) attendance/absenteeism rate, 2) 3rd grade reading performance, 3) 8th grade math performance, and 4) graduation rate. This data used for this priority area typically lags by one year.
Course and program data related to Start College Now, Dual Credit courses, Youth Apprenticeship, etc. is also collected and incorporated in high school report cards for informational purposes.
“The higher the rating, the higher our students are achieving, growing, and being successful. We see this drop in rating as more fuel for our continuous improvement efforts; however, we will also celebrate the gains our students and staff made. The story the data tells us is important, but it is also critical to remember that state testing is one measure of accountability and performance. There are many things to celebrate in the Wautoma Area School District from having robust extracurricular opportunities to multiple post-secondary options available to students,” said Mucklin.
To issue a score to a school or district, student demographics are considered to determine the scale adjustment. Student proficiency or achievement is given less weight in school districts that have a higher economically disadvantaged population with more weight given in the area of growth. On the 2022-2023 school report cards, WASD had a 9.7% weight in achievement compared to 7.8% for 2023-2024. Had the scale not shifted, it is likely the District and Parkside School would have maintained its Exceeds Expectations rating. Additionally, the scoring system for achievement changed for the 2023-2024 school report cards. The local CESA agency indicated middle schools across the state saw the biggest level of impact, and were left confused with the correlation between the data and ratings. Despite confusion, Parkside School will continue to stay the course to address all student needs.
“Our school continues to trend in a positive direction related to the achievement of our students and related to our growth. We continue to examine processes and procedures to address the individual needs of our students,” said Parkside School Principal Doug Beattie.
Riverview Elementary’s rating improved from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 from 68.9 to 69.6. Without a growth priority area, the majority of Riverview’s rating comes from student achievement. “Riverview’s data shows an exciting upward trend in student performance, reflecting the hard work of our students, staff, and families. This progress highlights our commitment to excellence in education and sets the stage for even greater achievements in the future,” said Assistant Principal Sarah Pietkauskis.
Similar to Riverview, Redgranite Elementary’s data can also face unique challenges in calculations due to having such a small population to work with; therefore, limiting the target group and value-added opportunities in the area of growth, which is worth 67.5% of the score.
“Redgranite Elementary received a rating of Meets Expectations on the state report card last year with an increase in the number of students proficient or advanced in English Language Arts. Professional learning focused on the area of phonics and literacy; results reflected the benefit professional development has on student learning,” said Principal Melinda Albrecht. “The data also showed a slight decline in the area of growth. We will continue to reflect on practices and resources to create an action plan to improve student learning in both core areas.”
Wautoma High School received a 72.7 score maintaining its Exceeds Expectations status. “Our results highlight the process our students continue to make and our areas for growth. While we are proud of the process that has been made, we are focused on continuous improvement. We will continue to provide targeted support to our students who are not making the expected growth, while enhancing instructional opportunities for all students,” said WHS Principal Jennifer Johnson.
Since the inception of the state accountability system by the Wisconsin DPI, there continues to be issues with consistency on how a school district’s rating is calculated each year. These ratings make comparing districts across the state nearly impossible as each individual district seems to have their own scale attributed to them. As educators, WASD plans to continue to reflect on the state data, celebrate the wins, and determine next steps in order to move students forward academically. Ultimately, we believe our students are so much more than a test score – their talents in music, as student leaders, artists, athletes, creators, friends, and learners is what makes us continue to strive to do our best for our students, parents, staff, and the community.