Report cards came out Monday.
Not for students, but for their schools.
The state Department of Public Instruction issued the state’s first School Report Cards, the first in a series of measures to evaluate schools.
“The 2011–12 preliminary school report cards are a starting point for using multiple measures to evaluate our schools,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers. “The report cards will change over time as we add data to improve our accountability system, including more options for high school students to demonstrate college and career readiness. …
“In addition, we will continue to gather feedback to ensure school report cards are understandable and useful in improving student achievement.”
Schools were graded on a score of zero to 100 in four areas — student achievement, student growth from one school year to the next, closing achievement and graduation gaps, and “on-track and postsecondary readiness.”
Statewide, 68 schools were rated as “Significantly Exceeds Expectations,” with a score of 83 to 100. Another 637 schools were rated as “Exceeds Expectations,” with a score of 73 to 82.9. Another 906 schools were rated as “Meets Expectations,” with scores of 63 to 72.9. Another 190 schools were rated as “Meets Few Expectations,” with scores of 53 to 62.9. The lowest-rated 76 schools, with scores below 52.9, were termed “Fails to Meet Expectations.”
The scores were then weighted in a formula that considered student engagement indicators, including test participation, absenteeism and dropout rates.
Three of the Platteville School District’s four schools — Platteville High School, Platteville Middle School, and Westview Elementary School — were in the top 10 of schools in southwest Wisconsin — schools in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference, the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League and the Six Rivers Conference.
The highest score of any school in southwest Wisconsin went to Platteville High School, an 82.6. PHS scored 77.3 in Student Achievement, 84.2 in Closing Gaps, and 88.1 for On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness.
Platteville Middle School ranked fifth highest in the three conferences, and fourth highest among SWC grade and middle schools, with a 78.4 score. PMS scored 78.1 in Student Achievement, 78.4 in Student Growth, 68.4 in Closing Gaps, and 92.6 in On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness.
Westview Elementary School ranked eighth in the area, and seventh highest among SWC grade and middle schools, with a 77.8 score. Westview scored 74.8 in Student Achievement, 80.3 in Student Growth, 66.6 in Closing Gaps, and 89.7 in On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness.
“The report cards issued show that Platteville Schools offers its students an outstanding education,” said Platteville School District Superintendent Connie Valenza. “We are able to do that because of a committed and talented staff and a community that is supportive of education.
“As with any school district, we can always do better about meeting the needs of each individual student and we take that charge very seriously as well.”
Potosi High School ranked highest of the Six Rivers Conference high schools, with a 75.0 score. PHS scored 71.6 in Student Achievement, and 85.2 in On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness.
Other schools received scores within the “Meets Expectations” range. Iowa–Grant High School received a 67.1 score, and Belmont High School received a 63.3 score.
Iowa–Grant Elementary–Middle School received a 72.6 score, Belmont Elementary School received a 71.5 score, Potosi Middle School received a 69.4 score, and Potosi Elementary School received a 68 score.
“These preliminary report cards provide valuable information for parents and educators as a foundation for helping all our schools improve and I encourage looking beyond the score or rating,” said Evers. “The report cards reflect a better, more comprehensive way of measuring schools’ effectiveness at helping our students graduate ready for college and career.”
The school report card did not rate 241 schools, including Neal Wilkins Elementary School in Platteville, because of their small size or “lack sufficient assessment data to receive an overall accountability rating.” Neal Wilkins has 4-year-old kindergarten through first grade.
New student assessments will begin in the 2014–15 school year. High school students will be assessed based on the ACT tests, including WorkKeys. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium will be used to assess students in third through eighth grades.
The school report cards are available online at http://dpi.state.wi.us/reportcards/districts.html.
Southwest Wisconsin’s top 10 schools
Platteville High School, 82.6
Plain Elementary, River Valley, 81.7
Arena Elementary, River Valley, 80.6
Cassville Elementary, 80.6
Platteville Middle School, 79.4
Prairie du Chien High School, 79.1
Ridgeway Elementary, Dodgeville, 78.2
Westview Elementary, Platteville, 77.8
Darlington Elementary–Middle, 77.4
Benton Elementary, 77.3
Grade-school, middle school report cards
Southwest Wisconsin Conference
Plain Elementary School, River Valley, 81.7
Arena Elementary School, River Valley, 80.6
Spring Green Elementary School, River Valley, 80.0
Platteville Middle School, 79.4
Ridgeway Elementary School, Dodgeville, 78.2
River Valley Middle School, 78.0
Westview Elementary School, Platteville, 77.8
Bluff View Middle School, Prairie du Chien, 75.0
Jefferson Elementary School, Richland Center, 73.5
Dodgeville Elementary School, 71.5
Dodgeville Middle School, 71.3
Bluff View Junior High School, Prairie du Chien, 70.9
Winskill Elementary School, Lancaster, 70.8
Bluff View Elementary School, Prairie du Chien, 70.5
Richland Middle School, Richland Center, 66.9
Doudna Elementary School, Richland Center, 66.5
Lone Rock Elementary School, River Valley, 64.7
Lancaster Middle School, 62.5
Neal Wilkins Elementary School, Platteville, NR
B.A. Kennedy Elementary School, Prairie du Chien, NR
River Valley Studio Elementary School, NR
Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Darlington Elementary–Middle School, 77.4
Fennimore Elementary School, 76.9
Mineral Point Elementary School, 73.3
Iowa–Grant Elementary School, 72.6
Cuba City Elementary School, 72.3
Mineral Point Middle School, 72.1
Southwestern Elementary School, 69.7
Riverdale Middle School, 68.5
Riverdale Elementary School, 64.7
Boscobel Junior High School, 64.1
Boscobel Elementary School, 58.3
Six Rivers Conference
Cassville Elementary School, 80.6
Benton Elementary School, 77.3
River Ridge Middle School, 76.0
Pecatonica Elementary School, 75.8
River Ridge Elementary School, 75.8
Black Hawk Middle School, 74.1
Belmont Elementary School, 71.5
Black Hawk Elementary School, 71.0
Shullsburg Elementary School, 70.5
Potosi Middle School, 69.4
Shullsburg Middle School, 69.0
Potosi Elementary School, 68.0
Highland Elementary School, 66.5
Highland Middle School, 62.5
Ridge and Valley Conference
Weston Elementary School, 75.3
Wauzeka Middle School, 75.0
Weston Middle School, Cazenovia, 71.9
North Crawford Elementary School, Soldiers Grove, 71.4
Ithaca Middle School, 70.8
La Farge Middle School, 69.7
Kickapoo Elementary School, Town of Kickapoo, 69.2
Stoddard Elementary School (De Soto), 68.8
Seneca Elementary School, 68.5
Ithaca Elementary School, 68.2
De Soto Middle School, 67.3
Seneca Junior High School, 65.7
Prairie View Elementary School, De Soto, 65.7
La Farge Elementary School, 65.0
Wauzeka Elementary School, 64.9
Scenic Bluffs Conference
Bangor Elementary School, 77.5
Royall Elementary School, Elroy, 76.2
Norwalk–Ontario–Wilton Elementary School, 72.5
Hillsboro Elementary School, 71.9
Wonewoc–Center Junior High, 71.4
Royall Intermediate School, Elroy, 70.1
New Lisbon Elementary School, 69.8
Necedah Elementary School, 67.5
Cashton Elementary School, 66.6
Wonewoc–Center Elementary School, 63.9
Juneau County Charter School, New Lisbon, NR
Royall Middle School, Elroy, NR
High-school report cards
Southwest Wisconsin Conference
Platteville High School, 82.6
Prairie du Chien High School, 79.1
Dodgeville High School, 75.3
River Valley High School, 74.1
Lancaster High School, 73.9
Richland Center High School, 72.1
Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Darlington High School, 76.9
Mineral Point High School, 75.1
Cuba City High School, 72.8
Riverdale High School, 69.5
Fennimore High School, 68.6
Boscobel High School, 67.2
Iowa–Grant High School, 67.1
Southwestern High School, 65.9
Six Rivers Conference
Potosi High School, 75.0
Benton High School, 73.8
River Ridge High School, 73.8
Pecatonica High School, 73.5
Cassville High School, 70.6
Highland High School, 69.5
Shullsburg High School, 68.4
Black Hawk High School, 64.9
Belmont High School, 63.3
Ridge and Valley Conference
North Crawford High School, 71.7
De Soto High School, 67.8
Kickapoo High School, Town of Kickapoo, 66.4
Weston High School, Cazenovia, 58.8
La Farge High School, NR
Seneca High School, NR
Wauzeka High School, NR
Scenic Bluffs Conference
Hillsboro High School, 73.2
Brookwood High School, Ontario, 71.0
Cashton High School, 70.5
Wonewoc–Center High School, 67.1
Bangor Middle–High School, 66.5
Necedah Middle–High School, 60.7
Royall High School, Elroy, 59.9
New Lisbon Junior–High School, 55.2
