[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6250042,"mediaKeyId","3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96","parentId",3204362,"title","Board hears Title IX/harassment policy revisions after federal rule changes and court rulings","audioSeconds",136,"startMs",11920000,"endMs",12056000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96&start=11920&end=12056","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96/thumbnail_11920000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250042/Wisconsin/Board-hears-Title-IXharassment-policy-revisions-after-federal-rule-changes-and-court-rulings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250042-55be7bd41d18f8bf76effa6b6285586d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770508391&Signature=TvD5yTbGY-kzy0Kt-iBOCrkhDl5JLmSm5yI4IujM09Y7rVh-u7eRPr28QzI30HotIkJGzGw~~Rxpt4Em041NStxGaPxYptK6YqmSkNPjAj0~xxPNlPb~UF1hcnGgtn73Gnyyuu2bkxtCB0Rlegkn8mmXWRUlX27NpHS81UIwYlXXDlsYYuKRoIVEO3ZjOMkXeOkiNKnUbMHaz0amCnuciLEyP73i8LD7HXHj3pwQBcKGZy-aYmFmgx3PTosb~v09AF3rLse1l8Q3jmSSiuPNDgx7Hi6G6XpIryRNh31BU9qwn4vpyL1nJlyuJYSBkp2j2h59kCQt2Yz7L1VnIjHQLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Madison Metropolitan School District, WI","date","2025-05-06T13:57:55Z","article","Board members received a legal briefing on proposed changes to the district’s harassment policy and Title IX procedures and were told the revisions reflect federal regulations, court interpretations and existing Seventh Circuit precedent.

Sarah Gazzi Marotti, the district’s associate legal counsel who oversees Title IX matters, summarized the legal background that informs the policy and explained how the district’s proposed language is designed to align with current case law.

\"Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of ***,\" Sarah Gazzi Marotti said, explaining how federal regulations and appellate courts have interpreted that prohibition. She told board members the district’s policy explicitly covers discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in line with the Seventh Circuit’s Whitaker decision and related Supreme Court precedent.

Gazzi Marotti outlined that the policy contains two complaint pathways: one for Title IX‑level harassment and another for broader \"misconduct\" that allows the district to address harmful behavior that may fall short of the statutory Title IX standard but still requires district response and remedies. She said that structuring the policy this way preserves remedies and supports for complainants while giving staff appropriate procedures to investigate and resolve complaints.

The presentation reviewed the regulatory chronology: the 2020 federal Title IX regulations that imposed procedural requirements, subsequent litigation and a later 2024 rulemaking effort that drew further challenges in federal court. Counsel noted that courts in some jurisdictions blocked the 2024 regulations but that the district’s position in Wisconsin is shaped by the Seventh Circuit’s interpretation in Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District, which courts in the circuit have read to include gender‑identity protections under Title IX.

Board members did not vote on the policy at the Instruction Work Group meeting; staff said the redlined and clean versions of the draft harassment policy will be returned to the board for a second read and a vote at the regular board meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5.5.25 Instruction Work Group","oneSentenceSummary","District legal counsel reviewed proposed revisions to the district’s harassment and Title IX policy, explaining how federal regulations and court decisions shape protections for gender identity and sexual‑orientation complaints; the board will consider the revised policy at its regular meeting.","taxTitle","Madison Metropolitan School District, School Districts, Wisconsin","taxId",14857,"location","Wisconsin","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6250047,"MMSD reports gains from full‑day 4K and details expansion, community partnerships",2260,7342000,9602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96&start=7342&end=9602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96/thumbnail_7342000.jpg","/articles/6250047/Wisconsin/MMSD-reports-gains-from-fullday-4K-and-details-expansion-community-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250047-50d39e70e9b196a28cb48add863d8abb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770508391&Signature=Mnex9eZGb7M~BDftAqMXZAYrY7MVbtTtJn2lXmQsyxEWh2k9CqmGvdLYTZvfqeet4ZhfqV5Ptb9BCJX8p7LipdXPeETglI5Wsh8zdjadzYAPyIwoblXNQIA6adAkygNmNUYlsA3wRCytEinVIFgc9zdvlwy9dFpfPY4JpQ71vDTpREL523Bv0CuyHxtpDajAWF3zYMeL02KHQoeWMDqisFuq2fbn4MVhRz9yRblrRZV~zG8i-q405zQzAHxzeCTwY~h0VDCGSnaITwQ825xPRSPRwqoxj3gZZcO3OxdalErjkPrj--xbjHZXSX-sl74c43oJAVzzhkkf7vySyuxH~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colleen Matoon, director of Early Learning for the Madison Metropolitan School District, told the Board of Education’s Instruction Work Group that the district’s full‑day 4K expansion and community partnerships are producing measurable gains and that leadership plans further targeted growth.

Matoon described a portfolio of school‑based and community partner 4K sites, play‑and‑learn family programs and a push to expand access for children from families with low incomes, multilingual households and other priority groups. She said the district now serves roughly 1,450 4K students and is adding new full‑day sections next year at multiple locations.

“This year we are up to about 1,450,” Matoon said, describing the district’s mix of school‑site and community partner slots. She told board members that full‑day sections were added deliberately in locations with higher concentrations of students of color and bilingual learners.

Matoon reviewed independent evaluation findings commissioned by the district. Madison Education Partnership (MEP) analysis of Teaching Strategies GOLD and other measures showed that in the 2023–24 school year full‑day 4K classrooms outperformed half‑day classrooms on district literacy measures by an average of about 11 points; math scores averaged about four points higher in full‑day classrooms; social‑emotional development showed modest gains as well, staff said. The district also added the state’s literacy screener to 4K this year, she said.

The early‑learning director described the district’s “play and learn” family programming — parent‑education sessions held across community centers that provide early interactions and peer inclusion opportunities for young children. Matoon said play‑and‑learn operates at eight sites and reaches families across the city; the program is often used to support families whose preschool‑age children need peer inclusion opportunities.

Matoon also explained the district’s community approach, which embeds Department of Public Instruction‑licensed teachers inside partner early‑care programs so families can access both 4K instruction and wraparound child care at the same location. She said that, when the district plans new full‑day sections or partners, it considers geography and equitable access: several neighborhoods on Madison’s north side have fewer community‑partner wraparound options, she said.

Board members asked about enrollment trends, outreach and whether the district tracks 4K students into kindergarten and beyond. Matoon said about 70–75 percent of 4K students remain in MMSD kindergarten; the district flags full‑day 4K participation in its student information system to allow longitudinal analysis and said it will continue to track cohorts as they progress through the elementary grades.

Matoon described workforce challenges in partner sites, noting that community providers sometimes lack staff with a DPI license; district staff said they work with partners on emergency licensing and other supports but that staffing and retention remain constraints for some centers. Directors and board members discussed advocacy for broader state support for infant‑toddler and early‑childhood staffing.

Matoon described next steps as continuing to grow full‑day 4K where space and need align, deepen partnerships with community providers and sustain professional learning and family outreach. She said the district will continue working with external evaluators and partners such as Roots & Wings and Madison Education Partnership to expand community practice and to fund professional development and materials.","The Madison Metropolitan School District’s early learning director told the Instruction Work Group that full‑day 4K enrollment has climbed to about 1,450 and that independent evaluation shows literacy and math gains in full‑day sites; the district plans targeted expansions and partnerships with community providers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6250052,"MMSD trustees hear wide-ranging update on middle‑school math, CTE expansion and arts programming",1419,1057000,2476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96&start=1057&end=2476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204362-4612a6e97494142740157b4a80befa96/thumbnail_1057000.jpg","/articles/6250052/Wisconsin/MMSD-trustees-hear-wide-ranging-update-on-middleschool-math-CTE-expansion-and-arts-programming","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250052-70c758862ebf42758318a6c255aa43c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770508391&Signature=di2JVAeb1m0lJurtiXc295DFApZR5Y3rXi1-6Hp7SdrLwQ6TuqyRYm1XtyLTYDz2QpH2p~jZz5QzyzJNK~vvrdVJ~A5-UOtx243ZGc2sQdaWfDxuw2pt3EVwGBQOsNiDHd~mGjTYNzYpp2DCZFN-31~8KksS3NNxrRGEAwKr1tEanoCXcNNIr06ajPZCrRApuYW2xE9Croy938piNF~SfvmxkkzQzb7NPxAM1DrQvKSZb7qiAVE~vo0V91mfLpIsqfLUlTw8Xro1PUrJWP9YLBQ91NaIlA3psRpa8ByY90QFoVr0MjtJJeFjvme6knlSBwPvlDXqdxjhHTMewAqvLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Madison Metropolitan School District leaders and principals updated the Board of Education’s Instruction Work Group on middle‑school instruction on math, career and technical education and the arts, describing districtwide initiatives aimed at increasing access and aligning grade‑level learning.

The presentations emphasized how the district’s strategic goals and investments support grade‑level standards, with staff pointing to recent gains in students taking algebra or higher while in middle school, expansion of middle‑school CTE courses and new arts residencies across schools.

Cindy Green, a district staff member who opened the evening’s presentation, told the board that the session would “start with an update on mathematics and an update on middle school programming.” She introduced a team of central‑office and school leaders who described work intended to lift student outcomes and expand programming choices.

Nardhumbaya, the district’s middle‑school CTE specialist, said the district’s CTE audit in 2021 found programs concentrated at a handful of schools and created an equity gap. “Our goal is to make sure that we have middle school CTE at all the middle schools,” she said, outlining an expansion that district staff said will include more than 55 CTE course sections and 15 CTE programs across nine middle schools in the coming year. Staff said three middle schools do not yet have formal CTE and that the district plans targeted outreach to those schools.

District presenters described CTE as intentionally tied to curriculum and career pathways. They said middle‑school CTE courses and student organizations are intended to build early experiences so students make more informed high‑school choices and better access postsecondary credentials.

On arts programming, staff noted residencies and districtwide events. One presenter pointed out that Hamilton’s choir was selected for a capital concert series and that hip‑hop artist Dowery Ruiz conducted residencies across middle schools this year.

Math instruction was a primary focus. Kaye Hunter, the district math teacher leader for middle school, described leadership moves driven by district and classroom data and by research on the “three shifts” in mathematics: coherence, rigor and focus. Hunter said the district created common, standards‑based assessments and revised scope and sequence documents to promote aligned, grade‑level instruction. “Rigor is first defined by conceptual understanding,” she said, adding that procedural skill and fluency are necessary so students can use cognitive energy for application.

Sheba Mays, principal at Toki Middle School, described building protected common planning time and “win time” extensions so teachers can address gaps without pulling students from other classes. Mays said screening and progress monitoring show improvements across student groups and increased classroom engagement.

The math task force presented by district staff includes 41 members, staff said, with representatives from central office and schools and outside partners such as the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Staff said the group has focused this year on broadening the purposes for learning mathematics, creating equitable structures and implementing equitable instruction, and that it will finalize recommendations and action steps over the summer.

Board members asked about who takes algebra in middle school, completion rates, and whether students retake courses in high school. District staff said they are analyzing post‑middle‑school course taking and outcomes with the research and assessment team. Board members also discussed scheduling, teacher preparation time, standards alignment across elementary and middle grades, and supports for students with individualized education plans.

No formal policy was adopted at the Instruction Work Group. The board did approve the meeting minutes for the April 7, 2025, Instruction Work Group meeting earlier in the session; a motion to approve the minutes was seconded and passed “unanimously,” according to the meeting record. Presenters said parts of the CTE work will come to the operations board for formal support and that the math task force will present final recommendations to senior leadership this summer.

The district framed the work as both instructional (core math materials and assessment alignment) and programmatic (CTE and arts expansions), and staff emphasized equity goals — expanding middle‑school CTE beyond the schools that historically hosted it and directing full‑day resources to schools with higher concentrations of students of color and multilingual learners. Board members asked staff to report back on longitudinal outcomes for students who take algebra in middle school and on disaggregated results by student group.

District staff said next steps include final math task‑force recommendations, continued CTE rollout, and further alignment work to address “standards gaps” created or widened during the COVID‑era disruptions to instruction.","District staff told the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education Instruction Work Group that math instruction, career and technical education (CTE) expansion and arts programming are priorities; a 41‑member math task force and new middle‑school CTE sections are intended to raise access and equity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears Title IX/harassment policy revisions after federal rule changes and court rulings

MMSD reports gains from full‑day 4K and details expansion, community partnerships

MMSD trustees hear wide-ranging update on middle‑school math, CTE expansion and arts programming