2016-2017 School Accountability Reporting
Dear Parents, Guardians, Community Members and Taxpayers,
We have had a wonderful 2017-2018 school year to date in the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District! We are excited about many positive happenings in the district and in our schools. Much of this wonderful news will be coming your way soon in the first edition of The Panther News. As a learning community, we are continually looking to improve in ways that will promote student academic achievement, growth and learning. One source we use to reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement is the School and District Report Cards issued annually by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
In each year recently, the DPI generates a School Report Card and District Report Card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. These public report cards may be located online at: http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards. The Report Cards are intended to help schools and districts utilize performance data to target improvement efforts that ensure students are ready for their next educational step – including the next grade level, graduation, college, and careers.
The current School Report Card is primarily based on last year’s performance, the 2016-17 school year. At the foundation of the report cards are four priority areas. Schools and districts receive a score for each priority area as follows:
- Student Achievement proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments
- School Growth measured by year-to-year progress in ELA and math achievement
- Closing Gaps in performance between specific student groups (comparing English language learners, low-income students, students with disabilities, and members of a racial or an ethnic group with their peers)
- On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness showing reliable predictors of how many students are on-track to graduate from high school and student readiness for post-high school success
Schools and districts are also evaluated on their level of student engagement – chronic absenteeism rates and dropout rates – when applicable.
The priority area scores are aggregated into an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100. This score is displayed in the top left corner of the School or District Report Cards. It is important to note that the 0 to 100 accountability score is not a “percent correct” measurement. Based on its score, a school or district receives one of five rating categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations, as well as a one to five star rating.
Here is some information shared from our District and School report card results from last school year (2016-17):
- Palmyra-Eagle Area School District – 73.8, Exceeds Expectations, Four Stars
- Eagle Elementary School – 83.5, Significantly Exceeds Expectations, Five Stars
- Palmyra Elementary School – 85.2, Significantly Exceeds Expectations, Five Stars
- Palmyra-Eagle Middle School – 63.5, Meets Expectations, Three Stars
- Palmyra-Eagle High School – 70.6, Meets Expectations, Three Stars
We are pleased that each school/level in the district minimally Meets Expectations as defined by the State of Wisconsin based upon last year’s results. It is our pledge, however, to continue to work to better prepare all students for enhanced levels of learning consistent with our district mission statement “To ensure that students excel with intellect and virtue, inspired by innovative educators who engage and challenge each individual.“ Please note that the computation of the scoring categories has changed from year to year making comparisons from one year to the next unreliable in nature. What is important to note are the areas in which progress is made which results in the assigned rating category. Also of importance are those areas in need of improvement which assist in targeting efforts in the future,
The DPI has produced two versions of each Report Card: a quick one-pager labeled “School Report Card” and a lengthier, detailed version labeled, “School Report Card Detail.” Both versions can be accessed online at http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards along with resources that explain the report cards. I have included the one page School Report Card for the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District with this communication as well for your immediate reference.
As DPI stresses, these report cards are just one source of information about our school and district. Please let me know your thoughts and questions as they arise. I would also encourage you to contact your local school principal for information specific to each school/level in the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District. We look forward to working with you to make the remainder of the 2017-18 a successful school year for your child!
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven M. Bloom, District Administrator
Palmyra-Eagle Area School District
