Kaukauna Area School District

A Future Ready Education Built on Community and Care

Engaging Students and Always Putting Them First, This Leading School District is Set up for Success

In Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley, the Kaukauna Area School District (KASD) stands out for its student centered approach, which is driven by engaged educators and supported by a clear, intentional strategic plan.

“It’s about what’s best for kids,” stresses Superintendent Mike Slowinski. “We are really making sure that the decisions that we make, whether that’s curricular, staffing, or budgetary, are made with that idea in mind. We also have adopted a philosophy and a value of believing in collective efficacy, which is that idea that each of us is the number one determiner of our student’s success.”

“There’s a lot of expertise and wisdom in the room, and when we come together in really authentic, collaborative ways, we are able to do some pretty incredible things for our students, and our families.”

Nurturing Minds and Well-Being

At KASD the emphasis is on more than academics, it is a commitment to the whole child, from the youngest 4K learners to graduating seniors. Holly Magness, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Continuous Improvement, explains, “We’ve done a lot of work with our Equitable Multi Level System Support or EMLSS. That’s looking at our students as they’re learning from a social emotional lens, and from an academic lens as well, so that we can really think about that whole child and how they are as a learner.”

The district works with external providers to offer on-site mental health support and also connects families with resources through Care Solace, a service that helps community members access therapists and counselors based on their specific needs. But Magness underscores the importance of support that begins in the classroom.

“Before we even think about all of those needs, we look at how we instruct kids, how we honor  and build relationships with students. We really value that student centered relationship,” she says.

Visible learning strategies inspired by researcher John Hattie highlight the powerful impact of teacher beliefs and collaboration on student achievement. “We think about how important our collaboration is among teachers, and how we build that collective efficacy by being able to see each other’s craft, see how our teaching is done, and how students respond. That’s really something that we focus on here in our district,” Magness adds.

More than Curriculum

To ensure consistency across its seven schools KASD is implementing a new K–11 literacy curriculum. The goal is to help students build on the work of previous grades through a clearly defined scope and sequence. “Curriculum is not the answer to everything,” Magness acknowledges. “There’s still the art of teaching and different strategies that can really help us with student instruction, but having that access to the same curriculum, regardless of the school that you go to, is really critical for kids.”

The district is also focusing on technology, using it as a tool to enhance learning outcomes. Each KASD student is equipped with a Chromebook, and a technology committee has been formed to help guide the implementation of the district’s “Future Ready” framework.

“That is seven different components of technology integration in a really comprehensive way, and that is part of our strategic plan,” details Slowinski. He notes that this helps to ensure effective use of technology and is one of 21 key performance indicators for the district.

“We’re really working to evaluate how we can best leverage the use of technology in the most appropriate circumstances,” he expands. “That means taking a look at the learning task at hand and figuring out what’s the best tool for us, technology or non technology, to maximize the students’ learning.” Additionally, several high school staff members are part of an AI Task Force, exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance instruction, support teachers, and help students understand how to use it effectively.

Building for the Future

Strategic investment is helping KASD to build and grow, thanks to a successful $198 million capital referendum. “The crown jewel, if you will, of all that, is a new middle school,” says Chris McDaniel, Director of Operations and Finance. “We are a fifth through eighth grade middle school. It’s a concept that’s worked well for us for well over a decade now. People felt strongly that the  consistency in those four years really helps students.” With an expected completion date of fall 2028, this new middle school will be built on land that connects to the high school campus.

Along with this, the district is expanding Hayden Elementary to better align its 4K and 5K offerings. “We had kids that could go to multiple spots in first grade, and they got interrupted,” McDaniel outlines.

“By doing this, we now have a similar experience throughout the whole district for students, regardless of where they live.” Other projects include upgraded parking lots, doors, and building exteriors, the less glamorous elements that are essential. “We’re very fortunate, because right now, we’re going to be able to set our district up where we don’t foresee a lot of massive needs, because we went for everything in the referendum, and the community supported it with over 60%,” he relays.

“Now there is the pressure to do it right, because we feel strongly that we need it and we want to make sure that we’re showing the community that we’re valuing the trust they put in us as a district.”

Arts, Athletics, and Engagement

Athletics and the arts are a source of pride for Kaukauna Area School District, showcasing both student and community engagement. McDaniel recounts, “We have an auditorium that’s really stood the test of time. It is a highly utilized space, not only by us, but by community groups as well. We’re very proud of that, and of the performances and the experiences that we are able to have.”

Music and performing arts programs are integrated into both the curricular and extracurricular experience, giving students early and consistent opportunities. “We have a very robust music offering,” he says. “Choir and instrumental and orchestra  are strong programs, and that fifth through eighth grade middle school helps that, because they are able to start at a younger age.”

A dedicated team of coaches and advisors have been instrumental to KASD’s success. “For a school that’s our size we have some of the best programs in the state,” McDaniel conveys.

“We are not only being recognized on the music side of things as being one of the best communities, but athletically we are very disproportionate with the amount of state championships we win.”  Participation in these programs is encouraged and is used as another key performance indicator. “It is proven that the higher your test scores are, the more engaged students are in the school, which is a positive aspect for general mental health and school safety,” he asserts.

Career Readiness and Community Partnerships

Preparing students for life after high school is a top priority for KASD. “In the last two years, we’ve had every student except for one graduate with either some type of work experience or college credit from a high school course that they took,” touts Magness. Local partnerships make many of these opportunities possible, with businesses providing valuable work experience, and often hiring students after graduation. “It’s really been a win-win partnership for the school district, the students, and our local industries,” Slowinski asserts.

Local partnerships play a role in many aspects of Kaukauna Area School District’s operations, from learning opportunities to capital projects. As part of its community focused approach, the district tracks involvement in its referendum projects through a dashboard. This tool monitors how many project workers live within the district’s zip codes and tracks the economic impact returned to the local community through business contracts and partnerships. “Our community supported us through the referendum, and this is one way that we can be really intentional about making sure that the impact not only expands to the educational outcomes and experience for students, but our local economy as well,” remarks Slowinski.

Looking Ahead

KASD’s continued progress is backed by an engaged and supportive community. “We invited our entire community to come together to help us create that vision for the future direction of the district,” Slowinski shares. “We had over 225 people take us up on that.” Their feedback helped shape 21 key performance indicators that guide every initiative in the district today.

As Kaukauna Area School District enters the next phase of its strategic plan, the focus is on sustaining momentum. “Our real opportunity over these next 24 months is to set a foundation for where we want to be 10 years from now,” Slowinski imparts. “We’ve set ourselves up, and the community has set us up to really take a jump, to go from a very good district to a great district. We really want to be a premier district in every aspect of that word.”

AT A GLANCE

Who: Kaukauna Area School District

What: A thriving school district serving 4000 students

Where: Kaukauna, Wisconsin

Website: www.kaukauna.K12.wi.us