All but two schools in Wausau and the D.C. Everest School Districts are meeting expectation for educating students, according to newly created district report cards released this month.
Franklin Elementary and the Enrich, Excel, Achieve Academy, both Wausau schools, received failing grades in the report, or “one-star” rankings. On a scale of 1-100, Franklin scored a 50; the EEA Academy received a 39.9. Under the rules of the system, schools can face sanctions if they receive a failing grade for two years straight.
The EEA Academy is a charter school for grades 6–12, created in 2005 (as New Horizons) for students not succeeding in the traditional school setting. It currently serves 80 students in its space at East High School. Of all schools in the Wausau district, the EEA Academy has the second-highest rate of free or reduced lunch students (69.5%). Franklin has the fourth highest (67%).
Overall, Wausau schools earned an accountability score of 70.9, while D.C. Everest schools received an overall score of 70.3. Those scores each fall into the three-star category, which means the schools are meeting expectations set by the Department of Public Instruction.
Statewide, 329 schools earned five-star ratings, 624 had four stars, 635 had three stars, 243 schools received two stars and 99 schools had a one-star rating. The report card system, launched this year, is meant to provide a snapshot of school and district performance.
Accountability ratings are calculated on four priority areas: student achievement in English language arts and mathematics, student growth, closing gaps between student groups, and measures of readiness for graduation and postsecondary success. That includes graduation and attendance rates, third-grade English language arts achievement, and eighth-grade mathematics achievement.
