District Administrator Statement on DPI Report Cards
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued District and School report cards for public schools statewide. The DPI report cards are one source of data that is used to inform teaching, learning and programming in the Spooner Area School District. We are pleased to see the continuing gains in academic growth taking place in the District. The valuable partnerships between home and school as well as the hard work District staff members do each day are having a positive impact. These gains are cause for celebration.
Report card data shows that not all groups of students are experiencing success at the same levels. We will continue our efforts to develop curriculum and programming that supports all students learning and achieving so that they can reach their full potential. Our goal is to provide Spooner students with the best possible educational experiences so that they graduate being college and career ready.
DPI has produced two versions of each Report Card: a quick one-pager labeled “School Report Card” and lengthier, detailed version labeled, “School Report Card Detail.” Both versions can be accessed online at http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards along with resources that explain the report cards.
What are District and School Report Cards?
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) creates a School Report Card and District Report Card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. These report cards can be accessed online here. The Report Cards are intended to help all schools and districts utilize data on specific measures to target improvement efforts to ensure students are ready for the next educational step – including the next grade level, graduation, college, and careers.
The current School Report Card, is based on of four priority areas. Schools and districts receive a score for each priority area:
- Student Achievement proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics on state assessments
- Student Growth measured by year-to-year improvements in achievement
- Closing Gaps in performance between specific student groups (comparing English language learners, low-income students, students with disabilities, and members of a racial or an ethnic group with their peers)
- On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness is a measurement using reliable predictors of high school graduation and potential post high school success
The priority area scores are then aggregated into an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100. This score is displayed in the top left corner of the School or District Report Cards. It is important to note that the 0 to 100 accountability score is not a “percent correct” measurement. The score is primarily based on our performance last year, the 2017-18 school year, across the four priority areas.
Schools and districts are also evaluated on their level of student engagement – test participation rates, chronic absenteeism rates, and dropout rates when applicable. Based on its score, a school or district receives one of five rating categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations, as well as one to five stars.
*Information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction "District and School Report Cards" webpage.