Clark Street School reports competency‑based learning, field experiences and student outcomes

A Clark Street School representative presented the school's 2023–24 annual report to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board on Dec. 15, describing the school's competency-based seminars, frequent field experiences, student exhibitions and use of a mastery transcript.

The presenter said students took more than 200 field experiences across four states during the year, with many local trips in the Madison area and some out‑of‑state events such as a writing conference in Utah and a symposium in New Orleans. Clark Street’s seminars are interdisciplinary and use common rubrics: students earn "elements" (learning targets) and produce "artifacts" (work tied to literacy and math standards); the school converts seminar outcomes into proficiency indications that can map back to letter grades when students enroll in the district’s traditional high school.

On outcomes, the presenter said the prior graduating class numbered 18: "Over half of those graduates are continuing with a 4‑year college or in a 4 year college or university," with others pursuing technical college, the workforce, or still exploring next steps. The school was also noted in an education trade magazine for competency-based approaches, and students presented at national conferences.

Board members asked how seminar credit transfers for students enrolled at Middleton High School; presenters said seminar work transfers as elective credit and provided a district spreadsheet to map elements and artifacts to traditional grades. The school said it will bring a charter renewal recommendation to the board; presenters described the program as year four of a five‑year charter term and indicated a plan to request a new five‑year charter period.

The report concluded with the presenter announcing an upcoming student exhibition on Jan. 22 at Clark Street.