District Improvement Plan
Provide excellent, challenging learning opportunities and experiences that prepare each student for success.
To be Wisconsin’s top performing urban school district that is highly regarded for continuously exceeding all expectations.
All students will have an equal opportunity to prepare for college and/or careers with the support of highly qualified educators in a learning environment that is resource rich, safe, and welcoming.
District Goal 1: Student Achievement
By spring 2027, the district will increase the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading and math by 12% as measured by the state assessment.
Strategy 1: Ensure that all students receive high-quality instruction, grade level content, deep engagement and high expectations through the effective use of data.
In Progress: Quarterly professional development for elementary instructional staff will increase reading content knowledge and high-quality instructional techniques to meaningfully engage learners in the classroom.
In Progress: Quarterly professional development for middle and high school staff will increase knowledge and skills using high-quality instructional strategies to engage learners.
In Progress: Content rounds at the elementary level will increase the identification of high-quality instructional techniques used in the classroom while supporting educators with feedback and support in using these techniques.
In Progress: Content rounds at the middle and high school level will increase the knowledge and skills of instructional leaders, allowing them to provide meaningful feedback and support on Tier 1 instructional strategies.
In Progress: Middle and high school teams will elicit student feedback to support the implementation of high-quality instruction.
In Progress:Â Implement a systematic Tier 3 Intervention program effectively utilizing data to reduce learning gaps in reading and math for identified students and increase high-quality instruction in the classroom.
In Progress: Implement SIP support meetings and SIP cohort meetings to increase effective collaboration and support among teaching and learning, school leadership, and school teams.
Strategy 2: Cultivate a safe, positive learning environment.
In Progress: Increase knowledge and use of strategies and skills with a consistent shift in creating systems that promote positive conditions for learning through the Summer Culture Workshop.
In Progress: Increase conditions for student learning in schools through collaborative culture teams that focus on analyzing and problem-solving around data.
In Progress: Employ culture coach positions at select schools to build the capacity of building staff to implement systems of support and positive learning conditions.
Strategy 3: Foster and strengthen family and community engagement.
In Progress: Family engagement professional learning will increase knowledge and use of strategies and skills with a consistent shift in practice and increase families as decision-making partners.
In Progress: The facilitating and analyzing of the annual family engagement survey will lead to an increase in the use of data by school teams, thereby increasing family engagement and student learning.
In Progress: The exploration of a new districtwide communication platform will take place to streamline school-home communications and ensure all messages are accessible, accurate, and equitable for all families.
In Progress: Community town halls will increase engagement and family voice to support student learning by gaining meaningful feedback.
District Goal 2: Fiscal Responsibility
Engage in an inclusive and transparent process with the school board, staff, administration, and public to create recommendations that result in an annually balanced budget.
Strategy 1: Implement budget prioritization sessions
In Progress: Engage administrators and stakeholders in two to four work sessions to support establishing budget priorities with feedback.
Strategy 2: Implement transparent budget development practices.
In Progress: Facilitate weekly Leadership Council budget development sessions incorporating district priorities that will result in balanced budget scenarios.
In Progress: Present the budget to the Board of Education in open meetings to allow for a clear and transparent approval process.
Strategy 3: Implement and support effective budget management practices.
In Progress: Provide ongoing professional learning and support for budget managers to support accurate error free balanced department and school-level budgets.
In Progress: Annually review and implement written budget management procedures to increase staff understanding and reduce corrections needed by finance.
District Goal 3: Effective and Engaged Workforce
Retain and recruit highly qualified staff who work to ensure the success of every student.
Strategy 1: Recruit highly qualified staff who work to ensure the success of every student.
In Progress: Implement workforce promotion activities to increase the number of qualified applicants for each position.
In Progress: Participate in recruitment fairs to increase qualified applicants for open positions.
In Progress: Develop and implement recruitment activities to increase the number of positions filled with qualified candidates.
In Progress: Collaborate and coordinate with community partners to increase the number of individuals completing student teaching, clinical observations, and Educator Prep programs with the district.