2022-2023 Annual Report
To accomplish our vision, we must also strive to meet a new set of ambitious goals for the future.
These goals, working together, will help us stay focused on what really matters— keeping students on track for graduation and the fulfillment of their dreams, making sure our students experience thriving cultures and climates that lead to healthy identity development, and holding high expectations for all. We’ll track progress on our goals and report publicly every year.
revised August 2018
Priority Metrics
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Year High School Completion (One year lag due to DPI process; data reported is from the prior school year.) |
86% | 88% | +2.46% |
Student:Percent Participating in One or More Co-curriculars (Grades 06-12) |
51% |
54% |
+2.71% |
|
Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grade 3) |
39% | 34% | -5.09% |
Staff:Teachers of Color |
14% |
15% |
+1.04% |
Goal 1 - Every Child is on track to graduate college, career, and community ready.
With Academic Challenges from COVID Persisting Nationwide, MMSD Strengthens Literacy Initiatives
Literacy disparities continue to exist not only in our district, but across Wisconsin. Our teachers and staff are committed to the success of each and every one of our students.
Lisa Kvistad, Interim Superintendent
With academic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic lingering nationwide, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) continued to strengthen the priority of literacy and the Science of Reading during the 2022-2023 school year. From ongoing teacher professional development to implementing new curricular resources, MMSD’s innovative investments in literacy are supporting students’ success in the classroom and beyond.
Partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020, the district created an ‘Early Literacy and Beyond’ task force, co-chaired by Lisa Kvistad, who now serves as the district’s interim superintendent. MMSD has used those Task Force recommendations as a roadmap to improve literacy outcomes across the district.
“MMSD desires to be a leader with our efforts around literacy and how we advance our work in this area,” said Kvistad. “Literacy disparities continue to exist not only in our district, but across Wisconsin. Our teachers and staff are committed to the success of each and every one of our students.”
In Kindergarten and 1st grade, literacy skills are measured using the FastBridge Early Reading assessment. In the 2022-2023 school year, scores increased nominally by half a percentage point, remaining at 41% proficient when compared to the 2021-2022 school year. The 2nd grade FastBridge reading assessment slightly decreased by less than 0.04 percentage points, bringing the proficiency rate from 45% to 44%.
For grades 3-8, the Wisconsin Forward exam measures proficiency in both reading and math. There were slight declines in both areas for elementary students in the 2022-2023 school year. However, middle school literacy rates increased by two percentage points from 36% to 38%, with math scores improving by almost one point from 31% to 32%.
“Literacy skills are the foundation for learning in all subjects,” said Becky Kundert, MMSD’s Executive Director of K-5 Curriculum & Instruction. “While we’ve made slight gains or held steady in some metrics, we have more work to do. Our teachers and staff continue to deepen their knowledge in the Science of Reading to improve our district’s literacy outcomes.”
Meanwhile, the district’s K-12 English Learner (EL) students saw growth by almost 7 points, jumping from 21% to 28% proficient. In the 2022-2023 school year, 26% of MMSD students were identified as EL, with more than 100 home languages spoken. The district offers one of Wisconsin's few Hmong heritage language programs at Lake View Elementary; Spanish/English dual language immersion is offered at 20 of the district’s 52 schools.
“In MMSD, we value the linguistic diversity of our students,” said Leah Zepeda Vaughn, MMSD’s Director of Multilingual Programs & Services. “We continue to uplift Multilingual Learners and their families. In our classrooms, teachers work to foster a culture of belonging and use culturally-responsive teaching practices to meet the needs of all learners.”
This important notion is further reflected by historic investments MMSD’s Board of Education made in literacy curriculum. The Board approved the adoption of two elementary-level curricular resources – one for English classrooms and one for Spanish dual language immersion (DLI) classrooms in Spring 2022. And in 2023, the Board also approved investments in middle school literacy and biliteracy with the adoption of new curricular resources.
“Our Board of Education has made important investments in our students,” Kvistad said. “I’m excited for this school year as we continue on our literacy journey. Educators across our district are focused on high-quality instruction delivered in caring and nurturing classrooms.”
Full-Day 4K Programming Expands Across MMSD, Sees Gains in Literacy and Math
As part of MMSD's commitment to Early Literacy and Beyond, as well as the Madison community’s approval of the 2020 referendum, the district expanded full-day 4K programming again in the 2023-2024 school year. MMSD now offers 35 full-day 4K sections across the district, four of which are bilingual and six are in our community early learning centers.
Full-day 4K provides access to high-quality early learning experiences for families with students from marginalized backgrounds including students with low socioeconomic status, Transition Education Families and students of color. Additionally, full-day 4K programming could help improve academic outcomes for early learners and directly close opportunity gaps. In 2021-2022, the Madison Education Partnership (MEP), in collaboration with MMSD's Departments of Early Learning and Research & Improvement, conducted an evaluation to understand how enrolling in full-day four-year-old kindergarten (4K) affects student learning relative to half-day 4K.
MEP produced three reports that share the findings of this evaluation, linked below. As part of the evaluation, 406 students were assessed, 16 classrooms were observed, and 13 teachers were interviewed. On average, students across both full- and half-day sections experienced growth on literacy, numeracy, and executive functioning assessments from fall 2021 to spring 2022. Both half-day and full-day teachers reported benefits of full-day 4K.
Increase in Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grades 6-8)
Goal 1: Every child is on track to graduate college, career, and community ready.
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Meeting PALS Uppercase Letter Identification Threshold (Grade 4K) | 64% | 71% | +7.08% |
| Met FastBridge Early Reading Benchmark (Grades KG-1) | 41% | 41% | +0.54% |
| Met FastBridge CBM Reading Benchmark (Grade 2) | 45% | 44% | -0.04% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grades 3-5) | 40% | 38% | -1.75% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward Math (Grades 3-5) | 40% | 40% | -0.35% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grades 6-8) | 36% | 38% | +2.07% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward Math (Grades 6-8) | 31% | 32% | +0.79% |
| Met ACT Reading College Readiness Benchmark (Grade 11) | 44% | 39% | -4.47% |
| Met ACT Math College Readiness Benchmark (Grade 11) | 33% | 29% | -3.91% |
| 4 Year High School Completion (One year lag) | 86% | 88% | +2.46% |
| Percent ELL Meeting Proficiency Level Growth (Grades KG-12) | 21% | 28% | +6.75% |
Goal 2 - Every school is a place where children, staff and families thrive.
Schenk Elementary Student Belonging Rates Jump 19 Percent
I think a huge part of that growth is our DLI program and our amazing staff who have done so much to build a community.
Amy Tranel, Principal, Schenk Elementary
“¡Que bueno que los pueda ver otra vez!” Fourth grade teacher Mariela Dinsmore said, welcoming students into her dual language immersion classroom at Schenk Elementary.
Nearby, a hallway bulletin board lists how to communicate “all are welcome” in 10 different languages, from American Sign Language to Polish to Japanese.
But you don’t need to be a polyglot to understand that community and belonging are critical to the fabric of Schenk Elementary; and according to data from the MMSD Climate Survey, students feel the same way. Between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, Schenk Elementary saw the largest growth in students’ sense of belonging districtwide with an increase of 19 percentage points.
“I think a huge part of that growth is our DLI program and our amazing staff who have done so much to build a community,” Schenk Principal Amy Tranel said. “Not only within our school, but with our families outside of school. I think they feel that community, which builds trust.”
There’s no act of inclusion too small or big to build belonging, according to Tranel. Every decision from budgets to book choice matters. She recalled an instance from last school year when a new English Language Learner from Portugal couldn’t find a book in the library written in Portuguese; within days, library media tech specialist Samantha Rae ordered stacks of Portuguese children's books for the student. Another staff member who had studied abroad in Portugal offered to work one-on-one with the student to help the them feel comfortable in their new school.
In addition to strengthening the educational experience for English learners, Tranel said the school community’s inclusion of students with a range of abilities in all activities is key to fostering a sense of belonging. For instance, when a new physical education teacher was hired this summer, Tranel ensured the gym would be a space where all students felt they belonged, regardless of a physical or behavioral barrier they may experience.
“Schenk has three core values of belonging, collaboration and anti-racist teaching and learning; and that belonging isn't true just for our students, but also for our staff,” Tranel said. “I think the principal sets the tone, so knowing and modeling their own social emotional competence for staff and students matters. My job is not to diminish teachers' power, but to empower them.”
These methods of community and belonging are so established at Schenk, you could experience it through all five senses; see the colorful student-designed welcome mural in the outdoor classroom, hear a classroom of students singing “I’m so happy to see you today, I’m so happy you’re here,” touch the squishy bean bag chair for a student feeling overstimulated, and smell and taste the aroma of home cooked meals from the annual Multicultural Family Night food festival.
When Schenk’s new student enrollment rate totaled 10 percent higher than forecasted over the summer, Tranel didn’t hesitate.
“It’s a really great problem to have. I would build new classrooms myself if I needed to. Bring them on, there’s room for everyone at Schenk.”
of Students Grades 3-12 feel they belong in their school. +8.05 increase from the previous year.
Goal 2: The district and every school is a place where children, staff, and families thrive.
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
Parent:I feel like I am part of the school community. (All grades) My student is safe at their school. (All grades) |
66% 76% |
76% 80% |
+9.27% +3.77% |
Staff:I enjoy going to work. I feel safe at my building. Percent of staff retained. Percent of staff retained, excluding retirees. Teachers of Color. |
66% 65% 84% 86% 14% |
80% 77% 85% 87% 15% |
+14.27% +11.55% +1.52% +0.96% +1.04% |
Student:I feel I belong at my school. (Grades 03-12) I feel safe at my school. (Grades 03-12) Percent participating in one or more co-curriculars. (Grades 06-12) |
74% 80% 51% |
82% 77% 54% |
+8.05% -3.09% +2.71% |
Goal 3 - African-American children and youth excel in school. We’ve set a goal that focuses our attention on dramatically improving the experience of our Black youth.
MMSD Graduation Rates Increase for 5th Consecutive Year
MMSD is committed to ensuring all students have what they need to be successful in school and beyond.
Lisa Kvistad, Interim Superintendent
The Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) graduation rates increased for the fifth consecutive year to 88% for the 2021-2022 school year. For Black students, the number climbed nearly eight percentage points to 77%. Overall, trends are positive across all high schools and by student race/ethnicity. These numbers reflect the four-year high school completion rate, with data reported for the year prior due to processes guided by Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction.
“MMSD is committed to ensuring all students have what they need to be successful in school and beyond,” said Interim Superintendent Lisa Kvistad. “We are proud to see our graduation rates increase, and acknowledge the efforts of our students, teachers, and staff!”
The four-year rate for students with individualized education plans (IEPs) moved to 64%, up three percentage points compared to the prior year and seven points over the last five years; for some students with an IEP, high school completion may take up to seven years, depending on the student’s learning plan. MMSD offers transition programs for students ages 18-21 who have finished their traditional four-year high school program but need additional learning time per their IEP. When looking at the seven-year graduation rate (including students from the “traditional” 2018-19 4-year cohort), students with IEPs complete high school in the 85-90% range. In the 2021-22 year specifically, the seven-year rate for students with IEPs rose to 86%.
Some of the district’s transition programs include school/community-based instruction, Campus Connect (a partnership with Madison College and the state vocational agency), and Project SEARCH. Project SEARCH is a national and international transition program to support students with an IEP to obtain necessary job skills, leading to minimum wage or higher employment. MMSD had the first Project SEARCH in Wisconsin. It is a collaboration between MMSD, UW-Madison Hospital, and Veterans Memorial Hospital in Madison, and state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Students complete an internship where they experience several 10-week rotations to learn about different career paths in the classroom and then directly apply job skills at a career location, like the hospital. For the 2022-2023 school year, 11 interns completed the program and graduated from Project SEARCH in August.
In another dataset, career pathway students who took at least two Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses (called CTE Concentrators) have a 95% four-year graduation rate. CTE career pathways offer experiential learning in health sciences, education and child services, business education, hospitality, information technology, marketing, technology and engineering, transportation/auto, and woods/construction. More than 770 graduates from the Class of 2022 were CTE Concentrators.
“As a school district, it’s our responsibility to ensure every student graduates ready for college, career and community,” said Cindy Green, MMSD’s Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning. “We strive to provide students with the best possible public education by offering a vast array of learning experiences. We want our graduates to be prepared for whatever they envision for their future.”
of Black Students graduated in four years. +7.73% from previous year.
Goal 3: African-American children and youth excel in school.
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Meeting PALS Uppercase Letter Identification Threshold (Grade 4K) | 50% | 60% | +9.83% |
| Met FastBridge Early Reading Benchmark (Grades KG-1) | 19% | 22% | +3.51% |
| Met FastBridge CBM Reading Benchmark (Grade 2) | 21% | 20% | -0.27% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grades 3-5) | 12% | 10% | -1.94% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward Math (Grades 3-5) | 12% | 12% | +0.15% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward ELA (Grades 6-8) | 13% | 13% | -0.37% |
| Proficient or Advanced on Forward Math (Grades 6-8) | 8% | 7% | -1.36% |
| Met ACT Reading College Readiness Benchmark (Grade 11) | 17% | 10% | -7.57% |
| Met ACT Math College Readiness Benchmark (Grade 11) | 8% | 6% | -2.40% |
| 4 Year High School Completion (One year lag due to DPI process; data reported is from the prior school year.) |
71% | 79% | +7.73% |
| Percent ELL Meeting Proficiency Level Growth (Grades KG-12) | 20% | 28% | +7.28% |
|
I feel I belong at my building (Student Survey) (Grades 3-12) |
65% | 76% | +11.57% |
|
I feel like I am part of the school community (Parent Survey) (All grades) |
58% | 71% | +13.19% |