Students of the Neenah Joint School District have plenty of reasons to celebrate after scoring an all time high on their district report card during the 2022-’23 school year.
All schools in the N.J.S.D. met report card expectations this past year, including eight schools that exceeded expectations. The ’22-’23 report card was also the first to reflect a district score of as high as 73.3, exceeding expectations for the district as a whole, and marking a new record for the home of the Rockets.
“We are very proud of the accomplishments we continue to make in Neenah,” Dr. Mary Pfeiffer, superintendent of the Neenah Joint School District, said in a statement on the NJSD website.
This is a huge step for students, but how did they do it?
According to Tim Kachur, the overseer of the curriculum, instruction and assessment department for the N.J.S.D., while many factors contributed to students testing success this past year, we shouldn’t overlook the teachers. Kachur said that Neenah staff have been willing to help every Rocket grow by recognizing where students need support.
Kachur shared that Neenah continues to rank as one of the top scoring districts in the area. It’s not all about competing with other schools, however. NHS Principal Brian Wunderlich expresses that it is even more important to compare Neenah’s scores with Neenah.
Neenah is a bigger district than some and a smaller district than others. The demographic of the N.J.S.D. differs from that of other districts, so it is hard to say that one school is better than another. Wunderlich emphasizes that Neenah can see growth here in Neenah, and that is what matters most.
During 2020, the N.J.S.D., much like most school districts, was deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was undoubtedly a difficult time for students, and while no report cards were collected for the 2019-2020 school year, Neenah can see how the pandemic affected students on the report for the 2020-2021 school year, as Neenah scored a 69.5 overall. During the 2021-2022 period, Neenah scored 71.8. It is important to note that these scores should not be perceived as 71.8%. We can see a steady rise in test scores in the years following the COVID lockdown, and Kachur sees this as a trend that will continue now that scores have returned to a pre-pandemic level. Data regarding district scoring, as well as the scores of individual schools are available through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
There is one test that students take every day. Attendance is recorded and reflected heavily on a school and a district as a whole. An article published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in partnership with USA TODAY NETWORK states that about 1% of Wisconsin’s estimated student population seems to be missing from school headcounts. Principle Wunderlich acknowledges this and believes that a rise in student absences may go hand in hand with the pandemic. Wunderlich proposes the idea that whether students are struggling with mental health, or simply feel more comfortable at home, there has been a rise in absenteeism following the pandemic. Wunderlich said that going forward, making sure kids feel comfortable in the building, and waking up wanting to attend school is something that Neenah will strive for.
Neenah has undoubtedly made great strides in test scores, but PrincipalWunderlich believes that the scores may still be an inaccurate reflection of what Neenah is capable of. When asked what some people may not understand about state and standardized testing, Wunderlich states that it is not just about whether or not you are going to go to college, or if Neenah is better than other schools, but rather, it focuses on personal growth. Being able to see where students were as a freshman and where they are now. That growth should be a point of personal pride amongst students.
