the wausau school district education department
The Education Department serves as the strategic heart of the Wausau School District's academic and co-curricular success. From setting the instructional vision to managing critical resources and programs, their impact touches every student, staff member, and classroom across the district. The scope of their work is vast and critical to our mission of ensuring every child learns, succeeds, and achieves.
Dr. Katie Colwell
Assistant Superintendent
of Academics
715-261-0526
kcolwell@wausauschools.org
Julie Schell
Director of Elementary Education
715-261-0531
jschell@wausauschools.org
Jon Tomski
Director of Secondary Education
715-261-0551
jtomski@wausauschools.org
Resources for Parents/Guardians:
- Annual Academic Standards
- Multilingual Learners (ML)
- K-12 Library Goal
- Title I
- Notice of Educational Options
- Assessments
Annual Academic Standards
Multilingual Learners (ML)
Multilingual Learner (ML)
District Contacts
Katelyn Landerman
klanderman@wausauschools.org
EL Coordinator
Gina Lehman
glehman@wausauschools.org
EL & Education Department Administrative Assistant
Mary Metzinger
mmetzinger@wausauschools.org
EL & Education Department Administrative Assistant
ML Mission Statement
The Wausau School District’s ML Program facilitates the acquisition of English by Limited English Proficient Students in a natural, effective manner while acquiring content area knowledge as well as acclimation and acculturation skills enabling them to become self-sufficient, responsible citizens.
BELIEF STATEMENTS ABOUT ML STUDENTS
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT – We believe that ML students:
- have families that are in integral part of the educational process
- should have district support in promoting family involvement.
CULTURE/LANGUAGE - We believe that ML students:
- should be supported and encouraged in their native language and culture
- must be culturally understood by teachers, fellow students, and community
- should have their culture represented in all curriculum areas.
EDUCATORS - We believe that ML students:
- have a right to professional educational services from qualified, caring, and accessible ESL staff
- have the right to culturally sensitive school personnel.
SELF ESTEEM - We believe that ML students:
- need positive role models
- should be recognized as individuals
- should be provided acceptance and pride in their differences
- can learn
- should recognize and promote their own gender equity.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT - We believe that ML students:
- should have a safe physical and emotional learning environment
- should have a person and place where they feel free to experiment with the language and having their needs met
- should not be isolated totally from their English speaking peer
- should be provided with an appropriate sized classroom and class.
CURRICULUM / INSTRUCTION - We believe that ML students:
- learn at their own pace
- need realistic approaches
- need age appropriate language.
- need a variety of methodology of instruction.
- can learn.
- need to learn the four basic skills of English so they.
- can be successful lifelong learners.
- have a need and a right to be taught curriculum that is meaningful, comprehensible, and developmentally appropriate.
- need to be provided the experiences necessary to develop background knowledge to be successful learners and citizen in BOTH cultures.
- learn just as any other students do with wide ranges in abilities and/or disabilities.
- they should be taught using developmentally appropriate materials.
- learn best in a challenging yet non-threatening environment where experiential, whole language methods are used for authentic purposes.
The Wausau School District has 9 Elementary Schools, two Middle Schools, and two High Schools.
At the Elementary level, there are 178 ESL Certified, ESL Kindergarten or ELL/Mainstream teachers. Middle School has 11 ESL Certified or ESL/Mainstream Teachers and at the High School level, there are 11 ESL Certified or ESL/Mainstream teachers.
English Language Proficiency Levels
The definitions of the five limited-English language proficiency levels, as well s Level 6, one of two fully-English language proficiency levels, are from PI 13.08(3)(1)-(6), Wisconsin Administrative Rule. Level 7, the other fully-English language proficiency level, is used for purposes of state reporting/state testing.
Level 1: Beginning/Preproduction (WIDA Level = Entering):
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A pupil shall be classified level 1 if the pupil does not understand or speak English with the exception of a few isolated words or expressions.
Level 2: Beginning/Production (WIDA Level = Beginning):
A pupil shall be classified level 2 if all of the following criteria are met:
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The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with hesitancy and difficulty.
- The pupil understands parts of lessons and simple directions.
- The pupil is at a pre-emergent or emergent level of reading and writing in English, significantly below grade level.
Level 3: Intermediate (WIDA Level = Developing):
A pupil shall be classified level 3 if all of the following criteria are met:
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The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with decreasing hesitancy and difficulty.
- The pupil is post-emergent, developing reading comprehension and writing skills in English.
- The pupil’s English literacy skills allow the student to demonstrate academic knowledge in content areas with assistance.
Level 4: Advanced Intermediate (WIDA Level = Expanding):
A pupil shall be classified level 4 if all of the following criteria are met:
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The pupil understands and speaks conversational English without apparent difficulty, but understands and speaks academic English with some hesitancy.
- The pupil continues to acquire reading and writing skills in content areas needed to achieve grade level expectations with assistance.
Level 5: Advanced (WIDA Level = Bridging):
A pupil shall be classified level 5 if all of the following criteria are met:
- The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English well.
- The pupil is near proficient in reading, writing, and content area skills needed to meet grade level expectations. The pupil requires occasional support.
Level 6: Formerly Limited-English Proficient/Now Fully-English Proficient:
A pupil shall be classified level 6 if all of the following criteria are met:
- The pupil was formerly limited-English proficient and is now fully-English proficient.
- The pupil reads, writes, speaks and comprehends English within academic classroom settings.
Level 7: Fully-English Proficient/Never Limited-English Proficient:
The student was never classified as limited-English proficient and does not fit the definition of a limited-English proficient student outlined in either state or federal law.
Criteria for Determining Limited English Proficiency
- When the Wausau School District Student Home Language Survey indicates that a language other than English is or has been used, language proficiency assessment will be administered by an ESL teacher.
- When language proficiency assessments indicates a student is eligible for ESL instruction, the student must be assigned an LEP Level.
- The responsibility of establishing LEP Levels rests with the ESL teacher, not the mainstream teacher.
- Annually, all LEP students’ levels of proficiency must be reassessed and updated according to district guidelines.
- The criteria for determining LEP Levels are based on a combination of observation and test scores.
- The test used for determining LEP Levels is:
WIDA: ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is a secure large-scale English language proficiency assessment administered to Kindergarten through 12th grade students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). It is given annually in WIDA Consortium member states to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is only available to Consortium member states.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
The assessment is available in both paper-based and online formats for Grades 1-12, while Kindergarten and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs are paper-based tests.
Purpose and Use of ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
- Helps students and families understand students’ current level of English language proficiency along the developmental continuum.
- Serves as one of multiple measures used to determine whether students are prepared to exit English language support programs.
- Generates information that assists in determining whether ELLs have attained the language proficiency needed to participate meaningfully in content area classrooms without program support.
- Provides teachers with information they can subsequently use to enhance instruction and learning in programs for their English language learners.
- Provides districts with information that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their ESL/bilingual programs.
- Meets, and exceeds, federal requirements for the monitoring and reporting of ELLs' progress toward English language proficiency.
Features
The tasks on the new summative assessment will continue to assess the language students need to process or produce in various school contexts. Each assessment item and task will target at least one of the five WIDA ELD Standards:
- Social and Instructional Language
- Language of Language Arts
- Language of Mathematics
- Language of Science
- Language of Social Studies
About the W-APT - Kindergarten
The Kindergarten WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (K W-APT) is an English language proficiency "screener" test given to incoming Kindergarteners who may be designated as English language learners. It assists educators with programmatic placement decisions such as identification and placement of ELLs. The K W-APT is one component of WIDA's comprehensive assessment system.
The K W-APT does not assign scores across the full range of WIDA ELP levels 1-6. Instead, scores for Speaking and Listening are marked as showing low, mid, high, or exceptionalproficiency. Scoring details can be found in the K W-APT Test Administration Manual and on the scoring sheets.
The WIDA MODEL for Kindergarten assessment yields a score between 1 and 6 on the WIDA ELP scale. It may be an optional replacement to the Kindergarten W-APT.
The K W-APT is:
- An aid to identify students who may be candidates for English language support services
- A measure that provides diagnostic information that may be used as additional criteria to guide instruction and service delivery
K-12 Library Goal
Title I
Title I Program Overview
Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are allocated yearly to participating school districts.
- US Department of Education
Notice of Educational Options
CONTINUOUS NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE
The District does not discriminate on the basis of the Protected Classes of race, color, national origin, age, sex (including transgender status, change of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity), pregnancy, creed or religion, genetic information, handicap or disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, military service (as defined in 111.32, Wis. Stats.), ancestry, arrest record, conviction record, use or non-use of lawful products off the District's premises during non-working hours, declining to attend a meeting or to participate in any communication about religious matters or political matters, or any other characteristic protected by law in its practices. (Updated 10.08.24)
Anyone who believes that the Wausau School District has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504 or the Americans with Disabilities Act, may file a complaint with the District Compliance Officers at the Longfellow Administration Center, 415 Seymour Street, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403, or by telephone at 715-261-0500.
Specific complaints of alleged discrimination under Title IX (sex), Title II of the ADA, and Section 504 (disability) should be referred to:
- Tabatha Gundrum, Director of Human Resources
- 415 Seymour Street
- Wausau, WI. 54402
- 715-261-0500
Complaints can also be filed with the Office for Civil Rights:
| Office | Contact Information |
|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Education | Phone: 312-730-1560 |
| Office for Civil Rights - Chicago Office | Fax: 312-730-1576 |
| 500 W Madison Street, Suite 1475 | TDD: 312-730-1609 |
| Chicago, Illinois 60661 | E-mail: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov |
| Website: http//www.ed.gov./ocr | |
|
|
NOTICE OF EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE WAUSAU SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Wausau School District (WSD) offers a variety of educational options to students who reside within District attendance boundaries.
The District's primary educational pathway and instructional program involves a progression from 4-Year-Old Kindergarten through 12th grade, leading to a high school diploma.
Specific Education Programs Offered
Some specific education programs offered to eligible students enrolled in and attending the District's schools include the following:
- Early childhood special education (for at least 3-years-old but not yet school-age)
- Special education for students with disabilities
- English Language Learner programs
- Gifted and Talented education
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs
- Individualized program and curriculum modifications
- Alternative education program for at-risk students (students identified as being at-risk of not graduating high school)
- Summer learning programming
- Charter schools
- Academic and Career Planning
- Virtual education program
Wausau School District Schools
| Elementary Schools | Other Schools/Programs |
|---|---|
| Franklin Elementary | Lincoln Early Learning Academy |
| South Mountain Elementary | Red Granite Charter School |
| Thomas Jefferson Elementary | Wausau Area Montessori Charter |
| G.D. Jone Elementary | Horace Mann Middle |
| Maine Elementary | John Muir Middle |
| John Marshall Elementary | Enrich, Excel, Achieve Learning Academy |
| Rib Mountain Elementary | Wausau East High |
| Riverview Elementary | Wausau West High |
| Stettin Elementary | Wausau Area Virtual Education |
School and District Accountability Report
The District's most recent school and school district accountability report, as issued by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction under section 115.385 of the state statutes, can be accessed on the District's website, as well as:
Wisconsin DPI School and District Report Card Portal
Under the "District" heading, scroll down and select "Wausau." You can then select the report card for the District or for any school within the District.
Educational Options with Part-Time Attendance at Non-WSD Institutions
Educational options for WSD students that involve part-time attendance at an educational institution other than a WSD school include:
- The Early College Credit Program (ECCP)
- Allows students in grades 11 and 12 to take college credits through the UW system or private, nonprofit institutions of higher education (IHE).
- The course must satisfy a high school graduation requirement.
- The course cannot be a comparable course offered in our high schools.
- Students must apply by March 1 and October 1 for the following semester.
- See Board of Education Policy 6221 for more information.
- Application information can be found at this link: Dual Enrollment ECCP Application
- The Start College Now Program
- Allows students in grades 11 and 12 to take courses at Wisconsin Technical Colleges.
- The course must satisfy a high school graduation requirement.
- The course cannot be a comparable course offered in our high schools.
- Students must apply by March 1 and October 1 for the following semester.
- See Board of Education Policy 6222 for more information.
- Application information can be found at this link: Start College Now Application
Educational Options with Full-Time Enrollment Outside WSD
Additional educational options for WSD students who reside in the District that involve full-time enrollment/attendance at a school, program, or other educational institution that is not a school or instrumentality of the District include:
- High school students meeting certain age and other eligibility requirements may be permitted to attend a technical college or certain other programs for the purpose of completing a program leading to the student's high school graduation or to a high school equivalency diploma.
- Full-time Open Enrollment involving physical attendance in a public school of a nonresident district or attendance through a virtual charter school that is associated with a nonresident school district.
- Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, a student with a disability who meets the program's specific eligibility requirements may apply to attend an eligible, participating private school under a scholarship awarded through the state's "Special Needs Scholarship Program," as established under section 115.7915 of the state statutes.
- Enrollment in a private school of the family's choosing (at the family's own cost, as applicable).
- Enrollment in a home-based private educational program as provided under state law.
Options for Private School or Home-Based Program Students
Educational options for children who reside in the WSD but who are enrolled in and attending a private school or home-based private educational program include:
- The opportunity to attend WSD summer learning programming & Growing Great Minds (G2M).
- Private school students in the high school grades have the opportunity to apply for approval to take up to 2 courses per semester in a WSD school subject to sufficient space, pursuant to section 118.145(4) of the state statutes.
- Students enrolled in a home-based private educational program have the opportunity to:
- apply for approval to take up to 2 courses per semester in a WSD school subject to sufficient space, pursuant to section 118.53 of the state statutes;
- and participate in WSD interscholastic athletics pursuant to section 118.133 of the state statutes.
For more information about these educational options, please contact Dr. Katie Colwell, Assistant Superintendent of Academics, at 715-261-0500 or kcolwell@wausauschools.org.
Assessments
Assessments in the Wausau School District
Forward Exam: March 16-April 24
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The Forward Exam is taken by students in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math in grades 3-8, Science in grades 4 and 8, and Social Studies in grades 4, 8, and 10.
PreACT: March 16-April 24
- The PreACT is a summative assessment, aligned to The ACT with a writing test that measures what students have learned in the areas of English, Reading, Math, and Science in grades 9 and 10.
The ACT: March 10-20
- The ACT is administered to students in grade 11 and consists of four multiple-choice tests (English, Math, Reading, and Science), and a 40-minute essay test that measures writing skills.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM): March 16- April 24
- The DLM assesses the academic progress of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. It is administered in grades 3-11 for English Language Arts and Math, in grades 4 and 8-11 for Science, and grades 4, 8, and 10 for social studies.
Opt Out
Parents or guardians wishing to excuse their child from participating in these assessments must place their request in writing to the principal of their child's school.
Questions?
Gina Lehman
715-261-0550
glehman@wausauschools.org
Professional Learning, Frontline, Title I, Mentors/Mentees
Title IIA, Title IVA
Mary Metzinger
715-261-0530
mmetzinger@wausauschools.org
Title I, Title III,
Summer Learning,
ELA / Math
Rachel Rosenthal
715-261-0565
rrosenthal@wausauschools.org
Early College Credit Program, Start College Now Program, Athletics, CTE/STC, Youth Apprenticeship, School Forest, PE/Health, Fine Arts, Secondary Education, IB, AP
Joanne Ruechel
715-261-0525
jruechel@wausauschools.org
EduClimber, Elementary Science, ELA/Math
Kathy Lannigan
WAVE Virtual School
715-261-0527
klannigan@wausauschools.org