Superintendent’s Corner:
New Law Brings Changes for Elementary Teachers Edgar Elementary teachers are adapting to new state literacy legislation as Wisconsin’s Act 20 takes effect, reinforcing the district’s commitment to student success. The law is designed to ensure every student is reading by the end of third grade. It increases teacher preparation in early literacy instruction and requires elementary teachers to dedicate extra time to training, analyzing student data, developing individualized reading plans, and working closely with families to support student progress.
Early literacy is essential, and our goal is to ensure that every student gets the support they need to succeed in reading. Our teachers already focus on student progress, collaborate with their teams, and refine their instructional strategies. This is another step toward ensuring we comply with the new law while impacting student success.
Edgar’s elementary staff has had one additional in-service day this semester, on Feb. 12, and will have another on May 14. The time will be used to address the requirements of ACT 20. Elementary students will not have school. Middle and high school students, however, will follow their regular schedule.
A Broader Look at Student Success
At Edgar, we believe student success extends beyond standardized test scores. That’s why, in partnership with CESA 9, we developed a local school report card.
Wisconsin’s State Report Cards provide one view of how a school or district is doing and where it can improve. Here at Edgar, we decided to take a broader approach to defining student success. The state report card is important, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Our local report card looks at research-based indicators that tell us whether students are ready for their next steps in life.
Those key indicators include student attendance, success in Algebra 2, and GPA. We also measure participation in youth apprenticeships, dual-credit courses, and extracurricular activities.
The goal is to provide a clearer picture of how Edgar students are prepared for the future. Whether they choose college, technical training, the workforce, or the military, our goal is for every student to succeed. We see good news in the data. Over 70% of high school students are achieving a C or better in Algebra 2, and earn a 2.8 GPA or higher. These important indicators give us a longer view of student performance.
By expanding student success measurements, Edgar ensures that students have not only the academic knowledge they need but also the experiences and opportunities that will prepare them for lifelong success. We invite families to explore our local report card on our website.
Edgar Middle School Earns a Second Year of National Recognition We are proud to share that, for the second consecutive year, Edgar Middle School ranked as one of the Best Middle Schools, by US News and World Report. The rankings are based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. There are more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools across the country. Schools are ranked at the state and district level, with Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools ranked as stand-alone categories.
We are proud of our continued efforts to track and enhance student success, and we thank our students, staff, and families for making education a top priority.
