Unified Strength, Shared Progress: Celebrating Success WUSD
WHITEWATER, WI – At the heart of every successful school district is a team that believes in its mission and supports one another. Over the 22-23 school year, the teachers, staff, and administrators of the Whitewater Unified School District demonstrated their incredible commitment, and we are proud to take a moment to share all we accomplished together.
Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, we collectively committed to working in Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s). PLC’s are an ongoing process in which we work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students we serve. This work improved our outcomes! According to a recent survey initiated by the WUSD School Board, hosted by a third party, a staggering 99 percent of our staff agree or strongly agree their work holds purpose and 93 percent feel in control over the manner in which they perform their duties. This speaks volumes about the sense of empowerment and purpose that is pervasive across our schools.
Utilizing PLC’s, our elementary staff worked very hard last year to implement a new math curriculum, Bridges. During professional development days, our teachers met, worked on their practice and adjusted the way we taught math. The students have demonstrated exceptional improvement following these changes. The Forward, Wisconsin’s measure of academic progress, tests grades 3-5 in Math at the elementary level. We moved from a combined average of a 36 to a 45.4 in Grade 3 on the Forward, from a 34.7 to a 35.9 in Grade 4 and from a 30.5 to an astounding 50.8 in Grade 5, outperforming the state. While this is cause for celebration, we will not settle in; this year, we are taking on reading at the elementary level.
At the high school level, our educators have pivoted their focus towards tangible student achievement. We have seen a significant increase in students earning college credit through collaboration with Gateway Technical College and UW-Whitewater. This allows our students to earn college credit while still in high school, an exciting opportunity for them to get a jump start on higher education. Additionally high school student enrollment in Youth Apprenticeship opportunities is increasing which allows for students to explore future careers. Meanwhile, the introduction of additional career, technical education and agricultural courses has broadened our students’ horizons, equipping them with valuable life skills and career exploration opportunities. Lastly, we have adopted a new program to assist with academic skill development for the 23-24 school year, aiming to provide our students with the tools they need to put their best foot forward on the important college entrance exam. Last year, 49 WUSD students at WHS went to state in their respective sports and clubs. They represent the “best of the best” in Wisconsin.
All means all. All of these outcomes are while servicing the highest population of students with needs connected to language, needs connected to disability and need connected to poverty in the region. Our dedication is to ensure that WUSD is the best it can be, and we will never stop striving towards that goal. We are emboldened by our progress and are committed to building on our success, driving ever forward in pursuit of educational excellence. Every step we take is a step towards a brighter future for our children, our community, and our district. Every student, Every Day, in a Unified Way.
Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty is superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District.
