The January 8, 2024, Board of Education meeting began with a comprehensive report by Director of Secondary Education Keith Schneider and the high school administrative teams. The focus was on the various initiatives implemented by Clark Street Community School (CSCS) and Middleton High School (MHS) to significantly improve the learning environments for their students.
Leaders in attendance included Jill Gurtner, Principal of Clark Street Community School, and several administrators from Middleton High School, such as Principal Peg Shoemaker, Associate Principals Jill Gurtner, Carmen Klassy, Elizabeth Merrick, Ray Rosing, Bobbie Reinhart, and Dean Erik Johnson.
Clark Street Community School Efforts
The presentation started with highlights of Clark Street Community School's efforts. One notable initiative is the implementation of quarterly "Sustaining Excellence Days." These events bring together students and staff to review data related to school improvement goals and discuss strategies for increasing student success.
Key discussion themes include self-discovery as learners and the development of student leadership. Additionally, personalized project time has been introduced, allowing students to work on projects aligned with their interests and personal goals. Examples range from creating blogs on youth civic engagement to art installations on reproductive health access. Students appreciate the autonomy and opportunity to develop time management and focus skills. Furthermore, student leaders have played an active role in supporting teachers and students through their own meetings, communication systems, and outreach efforts.
Clark Street Community School is currently accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are interested in applying, please fill out this form.
Middleton High School Efforts
Next, the presentation shifted to the ongoing efforts at Middleton High School (MHS), focusing on the meticulous planning process for the new Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) programming that commenced in the 2022-2023 academic year. Principal Peg Shoemaker highlighted the team's efforts, including site visits to various states to gather valuable insights. The CAPS programming, piloted this school year, will provide students with a wide range of courses and exploration opportunities in fields such as molecular biology, business, and communications. MHS remains steadfast in its commitment to expanding and improving these offerings, ensuring students have access to robust, career-focused programs.
To read more about the MHS CAPS program, view this document.
MHS leaders then discussed the implementation of Developmental Designs training to foster safety, competence, autonomy, relationships, and fun in classrooms. This training provides staff with the tools and mindset to create conducive student learning conditions. To date, 173 staff members are completing the final day of the High School Developmental Designs training, while 45 staff members have already undergone an overview training. Teacher teams will dedicate time during Professional Learning Days to incorporate Developmental Designs' philosophy and strategies into their curriculum.
The team then highlighted targeted interventions at both schools, which aim to support struggling learners, with early data showing reading and math programs helping close skill gaps and improve course performance. The Principles of Literacy intervention provides effective individualized reading instruction, enabling accelerated growth for students below grade level. On a progress monitoring assessment of reading fluency and comprehension, 63% of students participating in the intervention have demonstrated accelerated growth that will help close their skills gap over time. Additionally, 64% of these students now earn a C or higher in their regular English classes.
The Numeracy Workshop, 1 & 2 Intervention courses, provide additional math support to Algebra 1 and Geometry students identified as needing more assistance in their current math course. 76% of MHS algebra students receiving numeric support are earning a C- or better in their math classes. MHS has also increased its attention to student attendance, seeing promising reductions in tardiness (12% decrease) and absences (8% decrease) this year through a combination of data monitoring and family engagement efforts.
Lastly, the report included updates on several existing programs, such as the Education Academy's dual enrollment courses and the Seal of Biliteracy.
Review of Athletic Field Proposal - Natural vs Artificial Turf
Next, representatives from Point of Beginning, Riggs Site Consulting, Fieldturf, and Sportslabs discussed the proposed new softball and baseball diamonds at the high school complex. Their presentation focused on the comparison between natural and artificial turf, covering aspects such as construction, costs, maintenance, usage, safety, and sustainability.
During the presentation, the representatives compared the construction process and costs for natural grass fields versus artificial turf fields. Artificial turf fields can be constructed in three months, allowing for immediate and unlimited use. Natural grass fields take six months to complete, and their use would be limited during the first year.
In terms of maintenance, the representatives explained that natural grass fields require frequent mowing, fertilizing, and aerating, among other tasks. In contrast, artificial turf fields primarily need sweeping, infill leveling, and annual testing. The representatives further noted that the annual maintenance costs are generally higher for natural grass baseball and softball fields.
The Board of Education will vote on selecting either artificial turf or natural grass at their February 12, 2024 board meeting.
Open Enrollment - Policy and Enrollment Review
Each year in January, the administration and the board must determine the open enrollment availability for the upcoming year and approve any changes to the district's open enrollment policy. In Wisconsin, the public school open enrollment program enables students to apply for admission to schools outside of their residential district.
Deputy Superintendent Sherri Cyra began the presentation by discussing revisions to the open enrollment draft policy. She highlighted a few modifications, which included:
- Ensuring open enrollment access for current students attending our schools and/or their siblings. This provision would not be counted towards our open enrollment capacity.
- Reapplication requirements - This provision allows districts to establish a reapplication period when students transition from one level to another. However, given that we are not overcapacity in any of our schools, except for Sauk Trail, this requirement has been removed.
Next, Cyra explained the open enrollment proposal, which included information on grade levels, class size, number of sections, capacity, projected enrollment, space available, and special education (spec ed) space available for each grade from 4K through 12th grade. The team considered several factors to determine the available spaces for open enrollment by grade. One of them was projecting the number of sections for the upcoming year and determining the midpoint within the class size guidelines.
No spaces were available at Sauk Trail Elementary, as well as for grades eleventh and twelfth. In regards to special education, Cyra collaborated with Director of Special Education Cindy Malcheski to determine the allocation of spots. These special education spaces are categorized as "Cross-Categorical" (CC) slots, which can accommodate students from 4K to 12th grade. The total number of CC special education spaces allocated is 15. Additionally, there are designated spaces for Speech/Language services, with one available at West Middleton and two available at Glacier Creek.
The School Board will finalize and approve this proposal on January 22, 2024.
Literacy/Biliteracy Adhoc Committee Update
The last item on the agenda was an update provided by board members who had attended the AdHoc Literacy/Biliteracy Committee held on December 19, 2023. Board members Marni Ginsberg and Todd Berry both took part in the meeting.
Ginsberg mentioned that the committee meeting was very helpful and expressed her satisfaction with the team of leaders representing different levels and areas of the district. She said the meeting began with an overview of the committee's objectives and plans for the future.
The committee also discussed the district's progress in relation to Act 20, a legislation enacted in 2023 to improve reading and literacy outcomes for students in Wisconsin. Ginsberg highlighted the work being done by the Literacy/Biliteracy workgroup. Ginsberg and Berry have observed the workgroup in action, particularly witnessing teachers creating rubrics for evaluating different curriculums.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of the Multilayered-Systems of Support (MLSS) and how the Literacy/Biliteracy initiative aligns with this framework. Berry echoed Ginsberg's comments about the meeting and they expressed gratitude to Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Silvia Romero-Johnson, for her efforts in organizing the committee.
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