Wisconsin districts share continuous improvement grants

Eighteen Wisconsin school districts will receive a total of $6.5 million in grants to help them meet their goals for improving student achievement. Districts receiving awards include Antigo, Beloit, Janesville, Kenosha, Madison, Merrill, Oshkosh, Racine, Stevens Point, Stoughton, Watertown, and Wisconsin Rapids.

“The efforts of these districts to partner with their communities to improve student achievement serve as models for the rest of the state,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “These grants will help public schools lift achievement for all students and close the achievement gap.”

Districts may use the funds for a number of activities including tutoring, expanding summer school programming, providing professional staff development, purchasing supplemental instructional materials, developing early intervention programs with students, teachers, parents, and the community, and strengthening student reading and math skills through community and parent involvement.

The grants are funded from the federal Title I Program, part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Districts received funding based on school progress on the four annual measurable objectives used to determine adequate yearly progress under Wisconsin’s plan to meet accountability requirements of NCLB. The objectives are test participation, graduation and attendance criteria, and achievement levels in reading and mathematics.

“It is our shared value to educate all children to their highest level of achievement. Investing in the continuous improvement efforts of these districts is an important part of the future social and economic health of our entire state,” Burmaster said.

Last updated on 10/2/2006