The 2022-2023 Academic Recovery Plan

Children who read proficiently by third grade are more likely to experience success through and beyond high school. The MTSD monitors students’ progress in reading with the goal of ensuring students are reading at grade level by the start of third grade. Each year the school district documents progress toward this goal by reporting on the percentage of students reading to instructional level enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 2. Instructional level is the ability at which the student can read without additional support, as measured by the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient.

As additional context, in 2019, the percentage of fourth-grade public school students performing at or above the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Proficient level in reading was 34 percent nationally.

Recovery Goal for Milestone 1: By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, at least 90% of students will have achieved Milestone 1.

Strategy for Recovery: Implement the Summer Academic Boost program for K-5 students who did not achieve district established academic benchmarks, their expected academic growth projection, or registered below the 30th percentile in reading and/or math per NWEA MAP assessment results.

Strategy for Recovery: Assign the Student Support Coordinator to work with students and teachers to ensure academic growth and recovery in grades K-2 to include a priority focus on grade 2 reading to grade-level proficiency.

Strategy for Recovery: Dedicate the Districtwide professional mentor to first- and second-year teachers in grades 4K-2 to support student learning outcomes.

Strategy for Recovery:Implement a formal tutoring program for students determined to be in need of additional academic support in grades K-3 to attain reading proficiency in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency.

Read more about Milestone 1 here.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth tests are administered to all MTSD students in grades 1-8 in the fall, winter, and spring. These tests not only determine students' instructional level, but also measure their academic growth throughout the school year (and from year to year) in reading and mathematics. In the Mequon-Thiensville School District, progress is reported annually for students in grades three through 8 who score at or above the 66th percentile at grade level on MAP tests demonstrating reading skills that will likely lead to college success.

The 66th percentile was chosen to measure achievement based on findings reported in the NWEA MAP College Readiness Benchmarks Study. The study finds that middle school students are likely to be college ready if they performed between the 66th to 75th percentiles in reading. The estimated MAP benchmarks are anchored on the ACT score of 24, for both reading and mathematics. As is reflected in the data below, over sixty percent of students in the MTSD in grades three through eight are consistently performing in the top third of all students in the nation that are administered the NWEA MAP mathematics assessment.

Recovery Goal for Milestone 2: By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, at least 66% of students will have achieved Milestone 2.

Strategy for Recovery: Implement the Summer Academic Boost program for K-5 students who did not achieve district established academic benchmarks, their expected academic growth projection, or registered below the 30th percentile in reading and/or math per NWEA MAP assessment results.

Strategy for Recovery: Instructional specialists will build teachers’ capacity to implement small group strategies and differentiated instruction in reading lessons based on students’ identified academic needs. Priority focus will initially be for teachers of grade 4 students.

Strategy for Recovery: Identify the need and target reading interventions for students based on individual assessment results and lower than expected growth indicators. Priority focus will initially be on students in grade 4.

Read more about Milestone 2 here.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth tests are administered to all MTSD students in Grades 1-8 in the fall, winter, and spring. These tests not only determine students' instructional level, but also measure their academic growth throughout the school year (and from year-to-year) in reading and mathematics. In the Mequon-Thiensville School District, progress is reported annually for students in Grades 3-8 who score at or above the 70th percentile at grade level on MAP tests demonstrating mathematics skills that will likely lead to college success.

The 70th percentile was chosen to measure achievement based on findings reported in the NWEA MAP College Readiness Benchmarks Study. The study finds that middle school students are likely to be college ready if they performed between the 70th to 84th percentiles in mathematics. The estimated MAP benchmarks are anchored on the ACT score of 24, for both reading and mathematics. As is reflected in the data below, over half of students in the MTSD in Grades 3-8 are consistently performing in the top 30% of all students in the nation that are administered the NWEA MAP mathematics assessment.

Recovery Goal for Milestone 3: By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, at least 59% of students will have achieved Milestone 3.

Strategy for Recovery: Instructional specialists will build teachers’ capacity to implement small group strategies and differentiated instruction in mathematics lessons based on students’ identified academic needs. Priority focus will initially be for teachers of grade 4 students.

Strategy for Recovery: Identify the need and target mathematics interventions for students based on individual assessment results and lower than expected growth indicators. Priority focus will initially be on students in grade 5 and 7.

Read more about Milestone 3 here.

Students in the Mequon-Thiensville School District are administered an ACT-related assessment annually as part of the state’s testing program. The ACT series of assessments can be used to assess college readiness. Students who meet or exceed the ACT Benchmarks in English, reading, math, and science associated with this exam have a high probability for success in respective college credit-bearing courses. Based on 2020 results, ACT reported that nationally, 26 percent of ACT-tested students met all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. The data below reflects the percentage of MTSD students in Grades 9 through 11 (Grades 8 through 11 in 2015-16 through 2018-19) that met or exceeded ACT Benchmarks in all four content areas in their respective ACT-related assessments.

Recovery Goal for Milestone 4: By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, at least 46% of students will have achieved Milestone 4.

Strategy for Recovery: Identify the need and target academic interventions for students based on individual assessment results as identified by 2022 Aspire testing. Priority focus will initially be on students in grade 10.

Strategy for Recovery: Instructional specialists will build teachers’ capacity to implement small group strategies and differentiated instruction based on students’ identified academic needs. Priority focus will initially be for teachers assigned to Biology classes.

Read more about Milestone 4 here.