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Each student, every time, empowered to succeed.

Academics Overview

Academics

To maximize each child's academic achievement and personal growth, we develop curriculum that builds on students' interests, challenges students based on their ability level, and correlates with individual learning styles. Educators strive to build relationships with students as individuals and seek to grow students through a personalized approach.

Dedicated math and literacy specialists in each school support teaching and learning in those critical core content areas. Social emotional coaches at each school work to intervene, identify and eliminate barriers to students' academic achievement and social-emotional development. Research and Digital Learning Specialists work out of the Inquiry and Collaboration Center (ICC) at each school to maximize digital learning for each student, empowering them to embrace lifelong learning as critical thinkers, passionate readers, skillful researchers, effective technology users, and ethical users and producers of ideas.

Preparing students for success means nurturing critical thinking and exposing them to the widest array of possibilities. We provide an authentic exposure to art, music, theater, world languages, STEM curriculum, athletics and extracurricular activities.

Trimester Schedule

All district schools function on a trimester schedule. In a trimester schedule, the school year is divided into three terms, or trimesters, rather than four. Each trimester extends for approximately 60 days. Grades are finalized three times per year and parent-teacher conferences occur two times per year.

At the high school level, class schedules change at trimester.

Middle school students in 6th grade will transition electives every six weeks, as has been the practice at this grade level. Middle school students in 7th and 8th grade transition electives at the midpoint in the school year.

A trimester schedule provides a number of instructional benefits, including the following:

  • Provides more time for students to learn and demonstrate proficiency within a grading period.
  • Provides extended time at beginning of the year for students to acclimate to new school, classroom and schedule before the first report cards of the school year are finalized.
  • Provides more time for teachers and parents to collaborate, identify and address areas of concern during the grading period.
  • Provides more time for teaching and learning, due to the reduced time required for formal assessment at the end of a grading period with fewer grading periods.
  • Provides more flexibility for teachers to pace curriculum and ensure student understanding.

 

Notice of Pupil Academic Standards

Per Wisconsin Act 55, the Board of Education provides the following notice, which clearly identifies the pupil academic standards in the Mequon-Thiensville School District:

The Mequon-Thiensville School District is committed to maximizing the academic growth of all students through the implementation of rigorous academic standards. Academic standards in the Mequon-Thiensville School District are leveraged as a tool to determine the proper level of instructional rigor, evaluate the organizational effectiveness, benchmark student and teacher output and assist in the ongoing assessment of curricular resources.

Standards are viewed as the foundation for instructional expectations. Instructionally, it is the goal of the Mequon-Thiensville School District to ensure that every student experience annual growth every school year enrolled. It is through the use of instructional standards in which we are able to gauge student academic growth.

In establishing academic standards for students in the Mequon-Thiensville School District, it is the expectation that:

  • All instructional standards are implemented with fidelity across the District
  • Thoughtful review of student performance data is conducted to ensure that all students are fulfilling their academic promise
  • High quality instructional practices are used to best meet the needs of each student

In order to best equip our students to fulfill their post-secondary aspirations through exemplary performance on state assessments coordinated by the Department of Public Instruction and post-secondary access assessments like the ACT, the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education has adopted the following academic standards:

Subject Area Standard
English Language Arts (PK-12) Common Core State Standards
Mathematics (PK-12) Common Core State Standards
Science (PK-12)

Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS)
Social Studies Wisconsin State Standards
Art Wisconsin State Standards
Music Wisconsin State Standards
Physical Education and Health Wisconsin State Standards
Computer Science Wisconsin State Standards
Financial Literacy (PK-12)

Wisconsin State Standards

The District has reviewed all of the above-mentioned standards and deems said standards to be rigorous and appropriate for instruction. The aforementioned standards are consistent and in alignment with the District’s educational philosophy, organizational goals and strategic plan.

Program Overview

Click the links below for program overviews at each level.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten

Elementary School

(K-5)

Middle School

(6-8)

High School

(9-12)

Compliance Docs

  • Act 20 states that all Wisconsin schools are required to provide science-based early literacy instruction in both universal and intervention settings. Science-based early literacy instruction is defined as the following.

    Instruction that is systematic and explicit and consists of all the following:

    • Phonological awareness
    • Phonemic awareness
    • Phonics
    • Building background knowledge
    • Oral language development
    • Vocabulary building
    • Instruction in writing
    • Instruction in comprehension
    • Reading fluency

    Phonics is defined as the study of the relationships between sounds and words; this includes alphabetic principle, decoding, orthographic knowledge, encoding, and fluency.

    Click here to view the MTSD Act 20 Compliance document.

  • WI Act 30 - requires every district in Wisconsin to incorporate the teaching of the Holocaust and other genocides into the social studies curriculum. The requirement is that it is taught at least once in grades 5-8 and at least once in grades 9-12.

    Click here to view the MTSD Act 30 Compliance document.

  • WI Act 31 - American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (often referred as Wisconsin Act 31 ) refers to the requirement that all public school districts provide instruction on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of Wisconsin’s eleven federally-recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities.

    Wisconsin Act 31 supports efforts to address existing stereotypes, and historical omissions and inaccuracies concerning American Indian people and communities. Beginning at the elementary level and continuing through high school, the expected outcome for instruction is that all Wisconsin students will become more informed about the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the eleven federally-recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities in the state.

    Through the promotion of inclusive education, students in MTSD will learn about, experience, understand, and appreciate another culture, an essential lesson required to ensure students become successful, contributing members of our changing, diverse, and global community.

    Click here to view the MTSD Act 31 Compliance document.

  • WI Act 60 - 118.33 (1) (a) 1. f. At least 0.5 credit of personal financial literacy that includes financial mindset, education and employment, money management, saving and investing, credit and debt, and risk management and insurance.

    (1) This act first applies to pupils graduating from high school in 2028.

    Compliance:

    MTSD requires the course ‘Personal Financial Literacy’ for graduation for all students beginning with the class of 2028.

  • WI Statue 118.019 encourages all school boards to provide students in grades K to 12 with human growth and development instruction. The purpose is “to promote accurate and comprehensive knowledge in this area and responsible decision making and to support and enhance the efforts of parents to provide moral guidance to their children.” Students can be exempted from HGD instruction if the student’s parent files a written request with the teacher or school principal.

    The Mequon-Thiensville School District has made a commitment to provide health education to all students. One vital element of health education is the instruction of Human Growth and Development. While the parent/guardian is and will continue to be the primary educator, the Mequon-Thiensville School District will provide accurate and current information and materials that promote health and awareness to the students. Mequon-Thiensville School District firmly believes that a comprehensive Human Growth and Development curriculum is about the development of the whole student. The curriculum emphasizes the individual's safety, respect, responsibility and sexual risk avoidance.

    Click here to view the MTSD Human Growth & Development Course Scope and Sequence.

  • Statute 118.06 requires every public school to display the U.S. flag every school day and offer the pledge of allegiance or national anthem in grades one to twelve every school day.  

    As per MTSD Board Policy 8800,  every school in the District shall offer the Pledge of Allegiance or the national anthem in Kindergarten and, as required by State Statutes, in grades 1 to 12 each school day. No student may be compelled against the student’s objections, or those of the student’s parents, to recite the pledge or sing the national anthem.

  • Wisconsin's 21 special observance days are part of state statutes governing general school operations (Wis. Stat. sec. 118.02). On the following days when school is held or, if the day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, on a school day immediately preceding or following the respective day, the day shall be appropriately observed.

    MTSD schools recognize these days, at a minimum, with an announcement on the video boards in each school building.

    (1) January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

    (2) February 12, Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

    (3) February 15, Susan B. Anthony's birthday.

    (4) February 22, George Washington's birthday.

    (5) March 4, Casimir Pulaski Day.

    (5m) March 17, for “The Great Hunger" in Ireland from 1845 to 1850.

    (5r) April 9, Prisoners of War Remembrance Day.

    (6) April 13, American Creed Day.

    (6m) April 19, Patriots' Day.

    (7) April 22, Environmental Awareness Day.

    (7g) The last Friday in April, Arbor Day, except that if the governor by proclamation sets apart one day to be designated as Arbor and Bird Day under s. 14.16 (1), that day shall be appropriately observed.

    (7r) June 14, if school is held, Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Day.

    (7w) September 11, a day to remember the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, and to honor law enforcement officers and fire fighters.

    (8) September 16, Mildred Fish Harnack Day.

    (9) September 17, U.S. Constitution Day.

    (9g) Wednesday of the 3rd week in September, as part of Wonderful Wisconsin Week under s. 14.16 (8), Wisconsin Day.

    (9r) Friday of the 3rd week in September, POW-MIA Recognition Day.

    (9t) Wednesday of the 4th week in September, Bullying Awareness Day.

    (10) September 28, Frances Willard Day.

    (11) October 9, Leif Erikson Day.

    (12) October 12, Christopher Columbus' birthday.

    (13) November 11,Veterans Day.