Muskego and New Berlin schools make the grade on state's report card

Nearly all the schools in New Berlin and Muskego got exceptional grades on the new preliminary school report cards the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issued Monday.

Both New Berlin's middle/high schools and Muskego High School ranked in the "exceeds expectations" category in the report, which is intended to evaluate each school's educational status much in the same way the schools measure students' educational progress.

Similarly, three of New Berlin's four elementary schools also got that "grade" and the fourth was only two points away from hitting that mark.

Both of Muskego's middle schools also exceed expectations, as did three of its five elementary schools. Another significantly exceeded expectations and another met expectations.

What's measured

Accountability scores of 63 to 72.9 meet expectations in the DPI's view, scores of 73 to 82.9 exceed expectations and scores of 83 to 100 significantly exceed expectations.

The overall accountability scores or "grades" are based on four factors, only one of which is student achievement in reading and math. The other three are whether students are progressing well, whether achievement gaps among various student groups (such as English language learners) and low-income students and their peers are closing, and whether students are on track for graduating or being ready for post-secondary education.

The student achievement measures focus on how few students fail to achieve - the goal is for all students to be proficient. That is harder than it has been in the past, school officials have said, because the dividing line between what score is proficient and what is not is much higher now, with the statewide shift to new Common Core standards.

To develop the school report cards, the DPI averaged data from three years of Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts exams and other data. Sometimes, no "grades" are given when there aren't enough students being assessed or when tests aren't repeated so that progress can be seen.

Assessing the system, too

School officials around the state can now notify the DPI of any changes they think should be made to the new system.

New Berlin has already done that. School officials there said it is not fair to lump their two middle-high schools with grades seven to 12 with high schools statewide with grades 9 to 12. Similarly, its elementary schools that go to sixth grade are being compared with elementary schools up to fifth grade.

"They aren't comparing apples to apples," said Superintendent Joe Garza.