The Luxemburg-Casco School District is ranked among the top 20% of all school districts in the state based on its scores for the 2021-22 school year, according to the annual report cards issued Tuesday by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The scores mean L-C was considered by the DPI to "Exceed Expectations" for the past year. The other two school districts in the county, Algoma and Kewaunee, earned scores that saw their schools "Meet Expectations."

The expectations ratings are determined by the DPI's overall accountability grade, which is given to each school. The accountability grade is based on the schools' scores in four priority areas:

• Student achievement, which measures students' skill and knowledge levels compared to state and national standards.
• Growth, which measures student improvement in learning reading and mathematics.
• Performance by students with the lowest test scores in their school, aka target group score.
• "On-Track to Graduation," which shows how well students reach educational milestones that predict success after high school.

Under the DPI's scale, schools and districts with scores between 70 and 82.9 fall into the "Exceeds Expectations" rating. Those with a score between 83 and 100 "Significantly Exceed Expectations"; those from 58 to 69.9 are rated as "Meets Expectations"; scores from 48 to 57.9 are considered to "Meet Few Expectations"; and scores of 47.9 and lower "Fail to Meet Expectations."

L-C's overall accountability score rose slightly to 75.9, compared with 75.5 in 2020-21. That's the 83rd-highest score out of Wisconsin's 421 school districts.

The highlight of its priority areas was its achievement score of 80.5, slightly up from last year's 80.4 and better than 93.9% of all districts in the state. Also, its on-track to graduation score was 90.2, a drop from 91.9 in 2020-21 but among the top 16%. Its target group score of 60.5 was in the top half of all districts in the state, but its growth score fell for a second straight year, from 66.9 to 63.2.

L-C's district score was bolstered by the report card for its Intermediate School, which had an overall score of 92.9. Although down from its 95.0 score last year, the 2021-22 score not only put the school in the "Significantly Exceeds Expectations" category, it's also 29th-best among 2,626 school buildings in the state, in the 99th percentile.

That included an achievement score of 92.4, better than 97% of K-5 schools in Wisconsin, a growth score of 96.3 (in the 98th percentile of K-5 schools), a target group score of 92.5 and an on-track score of 92.6. The school also registered a mathematics achievement score of 100, almost 34 points above the state average.

In a news release from the district, L-C also noted its students placed second in the mathematics category of the Wisconsin Forward Exam and fourth in English Language Arts out of the 38 school districts in CESA 7, the agency of districts that covers northeastern Wisconsin from Sheboygan to Door County. These exams are administered each spring to students in grades 3 through 8 by the DPI to determine how well students are doing in relation to state academic standards that outline what students should know and be able to do to be ready for college or a career following high school.

The exam results showed 68% of 3rd- through 8th-grade L-C students were proficient and advanced in mathematics and 58.7% proficient and advanced in ELA, compared with the statewide percentages of 39.2% proficiency in math and 37.8% in ELA. L-C students ranked second in both tests among CESA 7 schools last year.

Kewaunee School District

The Kewaunee School District registered an overall score of 63.9, compared with 65.8 last year. It scored 58.4 in student achievement after a 60.4 last year and its target group score fell from 53.1 to 48.4, but remaining steady were its growth (65.1, same as in 2020-21) and on-track scores (84.2 compared with 84.6 the year before).

Algoma School District

Algoma's overall accountability score was 58.3 after recording a 59.5 in 2020-21. The district's achievement score this year was 50.3 compared with last year's 55.4, the target group score was 45.8 compared with 48 and on-track score was 80.9 compared with 83.8, but the growth score increased to 54.6 from 51.8.

For complete report cards or more information, visit dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Luxemburg-Casco among top 20% of school districts in Wisconsin, DPI report cards show