New Berlin West reports 'significantly exceeds expectations' rating, AP honors and classroom gains from metacognition

Associate principal Trudy Whelan presented highlights from New Berlin West, telling the board the school earned a 'significantly exceeds expectations' rating on the state report card and received the College Board Platinum AP School Honor Roll Distinction. Whelan introduced a junior student who described an extensive AP course load and the impact of AP coursework on her plans to pursue law or humanitarian work.

Administrators described a building-level theory of action focused on metacognition ("thinking about thinking") and a series of 100-day implementation plans. Teacher Meg Gardner described using a metacognitive/spaced-practice strategy with her retail operations management students; she reported mid-year gains in the class's industry-standard ASK exam pass rate (mid-year pass rate rose toward the certification threshold she seeks).

Athletics and activities director Cody Smith highlighted continued co-curricular success—state qualifiers across multiple sports, first tech challenge robotics expansion, academic decathlon state championships and DECA qualifiers headed to national competition—and noted nearly 600 attendees and about $89,000 raised by a recent Education Foundation event.

Administrators said they are using building leadership teams and targeted small-group instruction (flex time) to address areas showing declines (notably some seventh- and eighth-grade measures) and to support students with IEPs. The presentation concluded with thanks and no formal board action required.