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Wauwatosa trustees hear interim strategic‑plan metrics showing student growth and lower F rates
Summary
District presenters reported positive interim trends in universal screening, a higher median growth percentile in K–5, and a reduction in F grades, while flagging specific assessment areas for deeper investigation and describing staff work groups to address retention and culture.
At the Feb. 23 board meeting, the district presented the second of three interim reports on progress toward the board‑approved strategic plan, highlighting leading indicators that administrators said predict future proficiency.
“Measuring what matters is critical,” Jennifer Fodge, the district’s director of strategy and continuous improvement, told trustees as she summarized winter screening data showing growth in reading and math and an exit rate from interventions that exceeds the target.
Fodge noted several positive data points: median growth percentiles across grades 1–5 were above typical (the presentation cited a median growth percentile near 65), senior‑kindergarten screening measures improved (median values were reported), and the total number of semester Fs was the lowest in three years.
Administrators cautioned that a few measures need further investigation. Early literacy measures for senior kindergarten (letter‑naming and letter‑sound fluency) require attention because proficiency thresholds increase substantially between fall and winter. Staff said those metrics will be targeted with focused monitoring and intervention.
Board members asked whether interim metric gains will translate to state report cards and the Forward exam; district staff said interim metrics are leading indicators that feed into lagging measures that become evident on multiyear report‑card data.
On behavior, administrators said office disciplinary referrals rose in part because schools used an 'insubordination' code more consistently to capture students who previously would have been logged under attendance; the district plans to review coding and calibrate supports and student‑support teams.
Staff work groups on employee experience were described as addressing five priority areas (compensation, recognition, decision‑making, professional learning and work‑life balance). Administrators reported voluntary teacher retention exceeded the district’s 90% target in September 2025 after improvement from earlier years.
The presentation and discussion closed with an invitation for trustees to follow up with building principals about site‑level school‑growth plans, and an administrative commitment to share disaggregated fall‑to‑winter data for trustees’ review.
