School District of Cambridge

Learn from the past, Achieve in the present and Envision the future.

Superintendent Banker

Greetings School District of Cambridge community members and families!

The 2023-24 school year was productive and joyful for the School District of Cambridge! We focused intently on increasing student academic achievement, we assembled a PK-12 task force to study the Science of Reading and review our K-8 literacy curriculum, we tackled the challenges of social media and educated students, staff and families about the impact social media can have on an individuals well being. We also zoomed in on the concept of compassion resilience with our staff to promote a supportive work culture.

We continue to  implement a district-wide system for continuous improvement. We are on a relentless quest as a high performing and results-oriented school district . We utilize an integrated approach to equity-focused growth as we monitor each student’s academic and social-emotional progress. The vital elements of our district improvement plan drive the goals we developed and we publicly reported our progress in these priority areas each quarter of the school year:

• Teaching and Learning focus (student achievement)

• Family and Community Engagement focus (service excellence)

• Staff Excellence focus (our people)

• Operational Effectiveness (accountability and communication )

We are delighted to report that we accomplished our district-wide goals in both literacy and math growth! Thanks to the dedication and determination of our teachers and principals we had a disciplined approach to tracking our student’s academic growth over the year and made significant gains in student learning! Here are a few highlights in our district-wide academic growth goals:

  • Cambridge Elementary students increased reading proficiency by 10% and math proficiency by 17% from fall to spring of the school year.

  • Nikolay Middle School students increased reading proficiency by 15% and math proficiency by 17% from fall to spring of the school year. 

  • Cambridge High School students increased growth in reading by 14% as measured by Wisconsin State Assessments.

  • Koshkonong Trails School increased their ACT composite score from 22.0 to 24.25 from 2023-2024.

           Here are a few highlights in our district-wide social emotional learning goals:

  • Cambridge Elementary implemented Blue Jay Team Time or cross grade-level teams of students focused on team building skills to build school wide relationships and reduce bullying.

  • Nikolay Middle School reported that 98% of students expressed a connection with at least one staff member in their student survey.

  • Cambridge High School reported  that 100% of students expressed a connection with at least one staff member in their student survey.

  • Koshkonong Trails School embeds social emotional learning skills in their project based learning school design.

CSD is an outstanding school district for the whole child to blossom because we offer a well-rounded education prioritizing high academic standards paired with robust learning experiences at our school forests, Severson Learning Center, and many after school clubs and activities.

The District engaged in a significant review of K-8 literacy programming this year.  K-8 Literacy was last reviewed and updated prior to 2014. As the science around reading instruction and student learning continues to expand we are better equipped to make curriculum and instructional decisions to reflect this research The science of reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. The district literacy task force unanimously recommended EL Education as the new literacy curriculum. This curriculum offers instruction in phonics, grammar, vocabulary, writing with high interest, culturally responsive texts that feature science and social studies content to deepen student comprehension. We are excited to implement this new K-8 curriculum in the coming school year. We believe this curriculum will address academic achievement gaps and result in improved student performance.

Our mission to “Prepare citizens who: Learn from the Past, Achieve in the Present, and Envision the Future”  is our north star. We are bringing those words to life and helping prepare our students to be contributing citizens of our community.

Sincerely, Margaret M. Banker, Ed.D.

Go Blue Jays!

Superintendent Marggie Banker