Description of K-12 Academic Programs

Teaching and learning is why we exist as a public school district for students from age four and through high school graduation.

The primary years

The 4-year-old kindergarten program is centered on social emotional learning, early literacy and early numeracy, all precursors to future learning success. Four-year olds attend a half-day schedule, at settings either located in a district school building or at a partner sites throughout the communities of Monona and Cottage Grove.

Kindergarten through grade two is when students learn to read and the core concepts of mathematics.  In reading students master phonics, decoding, and become fluent readers. In math, counting and basic number operations are foundational, and students begin to use their math to solve real-life problems, too.

Students transition from learning to read to reading to learn 

Building on their primary experiences, grades 3-5 students engage in increasingly complex informational texts to develop critical thinking skills and solve increasingly complex math, to develop algebraic thinking.  Starting in fourth grade, students have the opportunity study a string instrument.  Of course, throughout the elementary years, students also study grade level science, and social studies. In addition, students participate in art, music, and physical education multiple times each week, and receive guidance instruction to help children with their social emotional growth.

Middle School

Sixth grade, the year typically considered the start of middle school, once again expands opportunities for students. In addition to core curriculum, the middle school offers encore courses including technical education, world language, band, choir and orchestra, family and consumer education, physical education, and art. Middle school students begin academic and career planning to lead them into high school with clear goals for achieving their post high school education and career plan.  Social emotional growth continues with the support of guidance. We utilize the restorative justice circle approach to provide students with opportunities to learn to work and solve problems together.

High School focused on achieving individual goals

Monona Grove High School is a four-year comprehensive high school focused on college-career readiness for all students.  The district is proud of our students graduation rate, attending 4-year and 2-year colleges. The high school ‘s # advanced placement, duo-credit opportunities primarily, youth apprentice program, world languages.

Families as partners

Most importantly, all our schools and staff welcome parents, families and students into our schools. We reach into the community too, and build important connections for all people who are part of the Monona Grove School District. The district’s rich music program educates and entertains the community; athletics and clubs offer social and developmental opportunities for students; and partnerships for students to explore the world are all part of the comprehensive program offered by the Monona Grove School District.

Meeting all children’s needs

So that students become proficient at grade level and so that each child can grow, every child receives universal, core instruction that is differentiated to meet their needs. We do this through multi-level supports, including differentiation, interventions, enrichment and extension for advanced learners, and an accelerated math program at the middles school. Support for individualized learning cuts across all grade levels. We recognize children have varying needs, so they find support here ranging from gifted talented programming to special and specialized needs. Every student is important in our schools. Welcome to the Monona Grove School District, promoting excellence for global opportunities.

Equity in the Monona Grove School District

The mission of the Monona Grove School District is to enhance achievement for all students by cultivating a desire for learning and instilling social responsibility.

We will achieve this by: 

• Building positive relationships among students, staff, parents, and community.
• Working together to inspire and engage students in meaningful learning opportunities by using research-based practices to address individual academic and social/emotional needs.
• Providing a safe and healthy environment that fosters respect and culturally responsive practices.
• Attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse, high-quality staff.
• Using resources efficiently and effectively.

Despite decades of educational reform and federal mandates, the United States continues to see growing inequities among students. The Monona Grove School District has been working for several years to disrupt the systems in place that allow these inequities to persist in our own schools. There is always more work to do--the job of creating equity for all students is never complete. The guarantee of equitable opportunity, access, and outcomes is a focus of our strategic plan: "Staff will recognize and effectively respond to personal, implicit, and systemic biases and barriers that limit access and opportunities in order to ensure an equitable learning environment and school community for all students and families."   

When we talk about equity in Monona Grove School District, what do we mean? Equity doesn't mean everyone gets the same of something. In Monona Grove School District, equity means every students gets what he or she needs in order to be successful. Whether it's a higher level of challenge or extra support, each student in every classroom gets what is needed. And they get what they need in the classroom with their peers. 

Over the last several years, the District has moved toward ICS for Equity (Integrated Comprehensive Systems). Developed by UW-Milwaukee professor Elise Frattura and UW-Madison professor Colleen Capper, ICS for Equity provides a framework and process for whole-systems change. ICS advances the learning of all students. Students currently succeeding not only continue to succeed but achieve more. ICS address racial inequities and the range of inequities across race, ethnicity, social class, ability, gender, sexual/gender identity and their intersections.     

ICS Equity includes an accountability system via the Equity Audit that measures equity progress and serves as a continual improvement feedback loop to the ICS Equity work. ICS Equity is based on 45 years of equity research. 

There are four cornerstones to ICS Equity: 

Cornerstone 1: Focus on Equity A focus on equity guides all team decisions. To develop a focus on equity requires a through understanding of the educational history of marginalization, a shift from deficit vs assets thinking and practice, advance our own identity development across differences, apply the equity research, complete an equity audit, and develop Equity Non-negotiables. 

The Monona Grove School District Non-negotiables are here. 

Cornerstone 2: Align Staff and Students Staff and students are aligned guided by the Equity Non-Negotiable of proportional representation. All staff share expertise through co-planning and co-serving teams in support of all learners.

Cornerstone 3: Transform Teaching and Learning These teacher-based teams co-plan and co-serve™ through identity relevant™ teaching and learning practices that are grounded in the most current research.

Cornerstone 4: Leverage Policy and Funding All district policies, procedures, and funding are aligned with the Equity Non-Negotiables and federal and state legislation is leveraged to eliminate inequities. 

If you want to learn more about how we view equity and the work we are striving to achieve, check out this webseries called Five Moore Minutes. The series creator, Shelley Moore, breaks down these concepts and puts them in easily understandable terms. In this video, Moore describes the continuum of learners and what transforming education means, here the evolution of inclusion, and here she describes "the end of average." 

Cornerstone image and ICS Equity is © 2017 Elise M. Frattura and Colleen A. Capper. All rights reserved. You may not reproduce, modify, or distribute this work without written consent from the authors. Please email icsequity@gmail.com to obtain such permission.