MMSD instruction work group coalesces around belonging, academic achievement and college credits as top performance objectives

The Madison Metropolitan School District Instruction Work Group narrowed the strategic-plan performance objectives to three high-level measures — student belonging, overall academic achievement measured by state assessments and GPA, and college credit/industry credentials — and directed administration to return with specific key performance indicators for board approval at the end-of-month board meeting.

Kyle Kandiet, an education consultant with RTI International, presented the revised wording and rationale to the group and said, “MMSD will increase overall student academic achievement as measured by required state assessments and GPA.” The board’s conversation that followed focused less on whether to track academic outcomes and more on how to measure them, and how to make sure students with individualized education plans are included in district reporting.

Why it matters: The performance objectives are intended as a small set of externally facing outcome measures the district will use to signal…