This week, we received our annual report card as part of the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) release of 2023-2024 report cards statewide. DPI is required by state statute to generate a report card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. The Lincoln Academy received a 3-star rating of Meets Expectations.
Report Cards as a Tool
As a newer school, this is TLA’s second year participating in the state report card process. Report cards can be a helpful tool for families to better understand school/district performance. They are also part of a school’s self-assessment toolbox in understanding how to best support all scholars. One challenge this year for our families and our team is that DPI made changes to exam cut scores used to determine proficiency and to the report cards themselves. These changes make it difficult to compare this year’s report card to previous years. That said, as we dig into our report card data, there are some key takeaways.
Focused on Proficiency & Growth
TLA’s focus is on making sure every scholar is proficient and prepared for life after high school. Our report card and Forward Exam data shows we have increased scholar achievement year over year. This is our vision; working to ensure every scholar meets grade level standards.
Wisconsin Student Assessment (WSAS) exams were administered to scholars during the spring of the 2023-2024 school year. The results are a foundational component of DPI school and district report cards. Overall state exam proficiency for TLA scholars, now categorized on report cards as “Meeting” or above performance levels, was 39.2% in ELA and 42.1% in Math. Wisconsin scholars in the same grades scored 51.1% in ELA and 53.1% in Math.
The changes DPI made this year to the cut score required for “Meeting” expectations as compared to prior year tests, makes it more complicated to interpret progress. Year-over-year, TLA moved from 30.7% to 39.2% in ELA and from 24.0% to 42.1% in Math. At the state level, Wisconsin scholars moved from 35.8% to 51.1% in ELA and from 39.5% to 53.1% in Math.
The report card also reveals important work being done to address achievement gaps, with virtually all TLA scholar subgroups exceeding state benchmarks in proficiency.
The same holds true for growth measures. TLA exceeded state growth benchmarks for all scholar subgroups apart from special education.
Target Group Scores
A key measure integrated into report card ratings relates to the performance of a DPI defined target group. This group includes the lowest 25% performing scholars in both ELA and Math.
An internal analysis of our data has highlighted for us the complexities associated with the composition of the target group, including significant percentages of scholars with special needs, scholars regularly entering TLA later in their educational career, and scholars who left TLA within a year or two. Also called to our attention, how target group performance is integrated into report card scoring and the unique impact the target group can have on a report card for a newly launched school. Given this, we do anticipate there will be fluctuations in TLA’s proficiency levels and report card scores associated with the school’s initial ramp-up to full enrollment.
Still Work to Do
Based upon TLA’s socioeconomic status data, our overall scholar achievement counts for 6.6% of our report card score, effectively limiting the impact of overall increased scholar achievement in driving our report card score. Our scholars who are struggling the most are not making as much progress as other scholars at TLA, which means we need to continue to build out support systems that enhance growth and proficiency for scholars performing in the lowest 25% of the school.
This school year, we have integrated the IXL platform to allow us to drive more significant and meaningful small group support during WIN (What I Need) time. This approach will allow us to seamlessly integrate additional targeted interventions to support these scholars. Additional areas of attention within this scholar group will include chronic absenteeism and scholars with disabilities.
It is easy for us to forget sometimes that we are still a young school. When we opened, we hit the ground running around academics in a way that perhaps made it feel like we had been doing this awhile. In year four, while we are pleased with how we are closing the achievement gaps overall, the data helps us understand where we have more focused work to do. We are committed to ensuring ALL scholars have the skills and experiences necessary to live productive and choice-filled lives, and we appreciate your support in our continuing to do the difficult work of achieving this goal.
Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 2x independent charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.
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