Wisconsin Virtual Academy presents performance report; administrators highlight growth and challenges

Dr. Sarah Cutler presented the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WVA) annual performance report to the McFarland School District board on Sept. 15, summarizing student achievement, enrollment trends and programming across the virtual academies. Cutler told trustees the school has seen notable growth in enrollment and student outcomes in middle and high school, including a reported 71% of high school students meeting growth targets and a projected improvement in graduation rates at the Insight program from 47% toward an estimated 57% after summer graduates. “71% of our students making growth,” Cutler said, adding that the results represent sustained improvement at the secondary level. She also described challenges at the elementary level, where about 35% of students were meeting targets, and said elementary leaders are “reimagining” virtual structures with more small-group and assessment-driven instruction and partnerships with learning coaches and families to improve growth. Cutler said the elementary program has been adapting fast and focusing on targeted instruction and family coaching. Cutler reviewed other program highlights including the Destinations Career Academy, expanded high school credit opportunities, and pilots for virtual test proctoring. She reported overall parent engagement and satisfaction measures that WVA staff described as the highest collective result across their schools — with metrics reported in the slides such as 85% positive engagement and 94% of families saying they were proud their child attends the school. Cutler noted operational headwinds: the academy recently moved to new operating systems and manages multiple student information systems, which created a “bumpy start” at the beginning of the school year and complicates state reporting. She said state accountability reporting accuracy is a priority and small data errors can materially affect published outcomes. Board members and staff thanked Cutler and said they appreciated the report and the work to support students in virtual settings. No formal board action was taken; the presentation was entered into the record.