By 2024, all NCSD schools will meet or exceed school-level performance expectations as defined in the Wyoming School Accountability model. The School Performance Designations derived from the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act (WAEA) are the primary measure for this strategic goal.
For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wyoming schools received a school performance rating. The Wyoming School Accountability system has included the WY-TOPP assessment in grades 3-10 as the academic indicator. The model for the WAEA was created to align with the federal law titled the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The Wyoming Accountability Education Act has four performance-level categories assigned to all Wyoming schools, these are: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations.
In grades 3rd through 8th the areas of achievement, growth, equity, and English language proficiency are indicator categories for the Wyoming School Accountability model. High Schools are rated on the same four indicators as those schools with grades 3rd through 8th with the addition of readiness indicators. These readiness indicators include graduation rate, post-secondary readiness, and grade 9 credits earned.
Alternative high schools are also a part of the accountability system, but the following indicators are used to assign a designation: growth, achievement, high school credential, college and career readiness, grade nine, ten, and eleven credits earned, school climate, and engagement.
The following strategies are identified to meet the high expectations goal within the NCSD Strategic Plan:
- Implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) developing tier one, two, and three menus for academics and behavior
- Implement and sustain Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in order to develop processes to answer the four questions based on the district curriculum
- Implement an evidence-based instructional framework
The designation of meeting and exceeding expectations has been met by 25.93% of the schools. This has increased from 22.22% in 2019. The average indicator score for NCSD slightly increased for grades 3-8. Six schools increased their designations, five schools decreased their designations, and 16 schools had the same designations from the last school performance rating in 2019.
There are 23 elementary and middle schools included in this summary of the 2021-2022 school performance. One school, Red Creek Elementary, is not listed because it is designated as a small school and the enrollment is not large enough to fulfill the n requirement.
There are two schools (9%) that received a performance level of exceeding expectations. The schools are Fort Caspar Academy and Sagewood Elementary. These two schools moved from meeting expectations to exceeding expectations.
There are four schools (17%) in NCSD that received the performance level of meeting expectations. The schools are CY Middle School, Evansville Elementary, Oregon Trail Elementary, and Summit Elementary. Of these schools, two moved from partially meeting to meeting (Oregon Trail and Summit).
In NCSD there are seven schools (30%) earning a performance level of partially meeting expectations. The schools are Casper Classical Academy, Dean Morgan Middle School, Lincoln Elementary, Paradise Valley Elementary, Southridge Elementary, Verda James Elementary, and Woods Learning Center. Of these schools, Dean Morgan moved from not meeting expectations up to partially meeting expectations.
There are ten schools (43%) that were rated as not meeting expectations. These schools are Bar Nunn Elementary, Centennial Middle School, Cottonwood Elementary, Crest Hill Elementary, Journey Elementary, Manor Heights Elementary, Midwest 3-8 School, Park Elementary, Pineview Elementary, and Poison Spider Elementary.
One of three traditional high schools is meeting expectations and two traditional high schools are rated as not meeting expectations.
Roosevelt High School received a rating of partially meeting expectations under a different accountability system for alternative schools.
As a district, we believe it is important to set strategic goals to focus our actions for continued educational excellence in Natrona County. High Expectations, Leading in Literacy, Planning With Purpose, Safe & Healthy Environments, and Effective and Efficient Operations are at the forefront of our District’s strategic goals and serve as the foundation for our work and comprehensive Strategic Plan.
We are focused and committed to providing all students with an exceptional education. As such, we work dedicatedly to have intentional work towards measured steps of improvement as we continually strive for excellence and the meeting our goals within our Strategic Plan.