Wahoo Public School District & Wahoo Middle School Earn an AQuESST Classification of "Excellent"
District moved from an AQuESTT classification of “Great” to “Excellent”
Wahoo Public School District & Wahoo Middle School Earn an AQuESTT Classification of 'EXCELLENT'
December 15th, 2023
The Wahoo Public Schools achieves a classification of ‘EXCELLENT,’ and will look to continue the positive momentum through the 2023-24 school year!
Each year, the Nebraska Department of Education classifies school districts and schools across the state as Excellent, Great, Good or Needs Support for Improvement. Classifications are based on the Accountability for a Quality Education System (AQuESTT) classification criteria. The AQuESTT system is designed to measure student performance in more ways than via student performance on statewide assessments. For the 2022-23 school year, the Wahoo Public Schools District, as a whole, moved from an AQuESTT classification of “Great” to “Excellent.” Wahoo Middle School also earned a classification of “Excellent”, while Wahoo Elementary and Wahoo High School maintained their classification of “Great.”
The final AQuESTT state classifications for the 2022-23 school year are as follows: 303 schools (27 percent) are classified as "Excellent," 437 schools (40 percent) are "Great," 288 schools (26 percent) are "Good," and 76 schools (7 percent) are designated as "Needs Support for Improvement."
AQuESTT classifications are centered around six core tenets:
1) Positive Partnerships, Relationships, and Success 2) Transitions
3) Educational Opportunities and Access 4) Postsecondary, Career and Civic Ready
5) Student Achievement and Growth 6) Educator Effectiveness
The Wahoo Public Schools emphasizes an environment for teaching and learning that is centered on growth and continuous improvement. We are committed to:
• Equipping our students for the 21st Century
• Providing opportunities for students to realize their full potential
• Creating engaged citizens
• Collaborating with the greater Wahoo community
Our Continuous Improvement efforts focus on five key action steps:
1) Providing high quality instruction that ensures academic growth for every student
2) Providing high quality curriculum that supports instructional goals
3) Utilizing high quality assessments and data collection tools to support student learning
4) Providing professional development and support which promote student learning
5) Providing an environment that promotes safety and a positive culture
When discussing the curriculum evaluation and renewal process, District Superintendent Brandon Lavaley shared, “The District actively and continuously evaluates curriculum, taking into account direction from the Department of Education pertaining to minimum standards of instruction. The process includes input from classroom teachers and administration before presenting any recommendations to the Board of Education.”
“As systems at the state and federal level continue to change, we will reflect upon current practices, analyze our current reality, and carry out decisions that will impact student performance and college/career readiness in positive and meaningful ways," said WPS Director of Learning Dr. Josh Snyder. "While the statewide assessment results are an important indicator of student performance, they are one indicator. If parents are seeking specific information regarding their son or daughter’s progress toward grade-level standards, the classroom teacher continues to be the best source of information.”
NSCAS Growth (State Assessment) - past 5 years (% proficient)
These NSCAS Growth results show Wahoo Public Schools achievement scores over the past five years of testing. While there is always room for improvement, we are pleased with the results and are focused on continued improvement.
NSCAS ACT (11th graders) - scale scores
These ACT scores include results for Wahoo Public Schools, Trailblazer Conference schools (bold) and other similarly sized school districts over the past three years of testing. All 11th grade students in Nebraska complete the ACT to meet state testing requirements.
Areas of Continuous Improvement
Dr. Snyder shared several ways the district is currently working to maintain their focus on continuous improvement.
“The district continues to place a great deal of emphasis into the development of an MTSS process. An MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) is the foundation for all work that is done within WPS. Our MTSS leadership team continues the essential work of reviewing all of the systems and programs currently in place at Wahoo Public, and ensuring all systems and programs support one another in accomplishing our vision,” Dr. Snyder said. “This work centers on ensuring the core classroom practices of Wahoo Public Schools are highly effective, that additional support services are aligned with our needs and that all components of the school system are working together to positively impact the learning environment.” More information regarding our MTSS system can be found HERE.
Wahoo Elementary School: Continuous Improvement Initiatives at Wahoo Elementary are focused on personalized learning opportunities, and building on the strength of the Wahoo Educational Behavioral Support System (WEBSS) as we align all of our systems with the MTSS framework, referenced in Every Student Succeeds Act. During the current continuous improvement cycle, we have specified our focus on improving reading into 1) Word Recognition at the Kindergarten-2nd Grade and 2) Language Comprehension at 3rd-5th Grades. - Ben Kreifels, Elementary Principal
Wahoo Middle School: Wahoo Middle School is focused on continually reviewing instructional strategies, rules/procedures, and ways to develop a positive learning environment for students. Ensuring that every student learns and is held to a high expectation is the number one goal. “The Middle School Staff works extremely hard to improve their instructional strategies with the understanding of the developmental uniqueness of this age group. Our staff are fantastic at developing positive relationships which I believe contribute to the success of our school.” - Marc Kaminski, Middle School Principal
Wahoo High School: Areas of continuous improvement at the high school are focused on ensuring that our students are college and career ready when they graduate from Wahoo High School. We rely on our MTSS framework as a guide for continuous student monitoring. Wahoo High School offers a combination of CTE, dual credit, SENCAP Classes, and our CEOs Program to help ensure our students leave with the skills they need to succeed post secondary. “The faculty at Wahoo High School takes pride in continuously working to improve the educational opportunities for our students through their shared vision. We focus continually on reviewing and improving our curriculum through rigor and opportunity.”- Vernon Golladay, High School Principal
Overall Summary
The refinement and improvement of instructional routines remains an ongoing process that takes commitment from ALL STAFF within ALL content areas. Each building is consistently reviewing and modifying specific systems of practice. From academics and support systems, to activities and facilities, we are continuously working to improve opportunities for student success and growth.
In summary, Dr. Snyder shared, “The staff members at WPS are fully committed to our vision of ‘Inspiring Our Students to Thrive!’”