New State Report Says MFHS Still Needs Improvement

The Wisconsin Department of Instruction on Tuesday released preliminary progress reports for schools around the state, and Menomonee Falls High School was on the list of schools identified for improvement.

The review found that 89 percent of schools, and 99 percent of school districts across the state meet their objectives in the report. was one of 89 schools across the state that was identified for improvement. There are 2,238 schools in the state.

As part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools and district are required to meet annual yearly progress (AYP) goals every year. Performance standards are set for reading, mathematics, graduation or attendance and test participation.

MFHS was placed on the list because it failed to meet its AYP goal in reading in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. The goal was to have 74 percent of students proficient in reading.  A school is identified for improvement after it fails to reach an objective two years in a row.

However, in the 2010-11 school year, MFHS turned things around and met the  AYP goal for reading, which was 80.5 percent proficiency. If students meet the AYP goal again next year, MFHS will be taken off the list of schools identified for improvement.

Menomonee Falls School District officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Across the state, 228 schools and six districts failed to reach an AYP objective completely. Last year, 140 schools and four school districts fell into this category, according to the DPI.

For the 2010-11 AYP review, schools and districts are required to have:

• A proficiency index of 80.5 percent in reading and 68.5 percent in mathematics.
• 95 percent of their enrolled students participating in statewide reading and mathematics assessments.
• A high school graduation rate of at least 85 percent or have growth of at least 2 percent from the prior year, or an attendance rate of at least 85 percent or show growth from the prior year.