By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
With standardized testing scores finally available throughout the state, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issued its 2015-16 school reports cards last week – with area schools faring particularly well.
All area schools ranked at least as meeting expectations on the DPI’s scale, with several exceeding expectations or significantly exceeding expectations.
The DPI report cards use three years of standardized test scores to determine student achievement, student growth and “closing the gaps” between students groups.
Schools scoring between 83 and 100 significantly exceeded expectations, between 73 and 82.9 exceeded expectations, 63 to 72.9 met expectations, 53 to 62.9 met few expectations and zero to 52.9 failed to meet expectations.
Union Grove Union High School was the top high school in the Southern Lakes Conference and in Racine County, scoring 74.9 and exceeding expectations. The top elementary school was Cooper Elementary – a 4-year-old kindergarten through fourth grade school – in Burlington at 90.3.
With only Burlington in the area as a kindergarten through 12th grade district, comparisons among districts is, as many administrators have said, like comparing apples and oranges. This article lines up the high schools and elementary/intermediate/middle schools for sake of discussion.
High schools
Union Grove Union High School managed to find the best balance between the two factors that seemed to distinguish most of the area high schools – student achievement scores and the “closing the gaps” scores.
“We’re proud right now,” said District Administrator Al Mollerskov. “I was happy. You never know, especially since this assessment has been changing every year.”
He also said that most area schools don’t have the diversity that helps determine the closing the gaps scores, which is determined by the gap between every day students and those facing economic disadvantages, special education or of a minority.
“It’s not anything we have any control over,” Mollerskov said. “It just is what it is.”
The “gaps” score cost Waterford Union High School in the overall ranking. The school had the highest student achievement score among the eight SLC schools, but the lowest closing the gaps score.
WUHS Superintendent Keith Brandstetter said the district is working on that particular element.
“We have added reinforcement classes in math and reading to help students who have experienced difficulties in these areas both in general education and special education,” said Brandstetter, who also added that the academic focus is something the school is proud of.
“The first message students hear at WUHS is that we have an academic focus and that we believe in high expectations for everyone,” he said.
Burlington High School, meanwhile, fit right into the middle of the pack with other SLC schools and put up the third-best overall ranking.
Burlington Area School District put together a composite score of all its schools of 79.9 – which met the criteria for “exceeds expectations.”
“I believe the scores and report cards are a reflection of the hard work of our administration, teachers and support staff,” said BASD Curriculum Director and Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen. “Improving student learning and providing the best instruction for our students is our primary goal.”
The best of the rest
With the other districts in the area not working with the same grade levels, comparing the overall scores would not provide a true balance.
Waterford Graded covers grades K to 8, along with Union Grove Elementary, but Waterford has a middle school. Yorkville, Raymond, Washington-Caldwell and Kansasville also have grades K to 8, while Burlington’s grade schools are 4K to fourth grade, grades 5 and 6 are at Dyer Intermediate and grades 7 and 8 at Karcher Middle School.
Two of Burlington’s elementary schools, Cooper and Lyons Center, produced the two single highest scores in the area at 90.3 and 86.1, respectively, and Karcher Middle School posted an 84.4.
Cooper Elementary Principal Christine Anderson said she felt “very blessed” to work with the entire staff at the school.
“When you walk into a learning environment today it is amazing to hear children as young as what we serve having rich book discussions and seeing the unique ways our staff is pulling together and preparing students to achieve those results,” she said.
Washington-Caldwell, coming off strong performances on the state Forward Exam, posted an 85.6, which fell into “significantly exceeds expectations.”
“We are very pleased,” said Superintendent Mark Pienkos, who credited the students, staff, parents, school board and community for all working together for the goal.
“Teamwork abounds at Washington-Caldwell and that is one of the reasons that we earned significantly exceeds expectations,” Pienkos said.
With the cutoff for “exceeds expectations” at 73.0, just two area school missed the cut – and just barely at that. Yorkville and Waller Elementary (Burlington) both came in at 72.8.
The rest of the elementary, intermediate and middle schools ranged from a score of 74.5 to 83.3.
-
-
-
-
-