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Janesville’s Culture of Excellence 

By Allison DeGraaf, Director of Learning and Innovation, Janesville School District

The School District of Janesville is seeing significant results from its "Culture of Excellence" initiative, a systemwide approach to continuous improvement that has led to measurable gains in student achievement. By aligning district priorities with classroom practices, Janesville has created a "ripple effect" of success across its 20 schools. 

A Coherent System for Success 
The district’s strategy focuses on three core priorities: reading, math, and attendance. Rather than treating these as separate initiatives, leadership integrated them into every level of the organization, from the boardroom to individual Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) for teachers. 

A major shift occurred when the district transitioned its primary metrics from internal assessments to the Wisconsin Forward Exam and ACT performance. This move ensured that classroom instruction directly reflected the rigor and demands of state standards. 

Building Capacity Through Collaboration 
Between 2021 and 2023, Janesville participated in the AWSA’s SAIL continuous improvement network. This experience taught leadership teams to engage in 100-day improvement cycles and monitor progress frequently. Today, K-12 leadership teams continue to meet four times a year to analyze data and adjust practices in real time. 

To support these efforts, the district invested in: 

  • New Curriculum: A three-year rollout of updated reading and math materials focused on deep implementation. 
  • Rebooted PLCs: Professional Learning Communities now focus on backward design, pacing guides, and common assessments aligned with state standards. 
  • Teacher Support: K-5 educators received 60 hours of research-based professional learning on reading to support literacy instruction. A redesign and training of the new teacher mentoring program was implemented to support onboarding and staff retention. 

Measurable Results 
The commitment to this coherent system has provided significant results on the most recent Wisconsin state report cards: 

  • Overall Achievement: The district saw a 5.9-point increase on its overall state report card. 
  • Equity Gains: Targeted student groups—those historically underperforming—showed a 9-point increase, validating the district's focus on precision-based supports for target groups. 
  • Literacy: Third-grade reading scores on the Forward Exam rose by 8 percentage points. 
  • Math: Eighth-grade math achievement increased by 4.8 percentage points. ● College Readiness: Secondary outcomes were particularly strong, with a 14.6-point increase in ACT-ELA performance and an overall ACT composite score rise from 17.8 to 18.6. 

The Path Forward 
These gains demonstrate that student outcomes improve when educators are supported by a clear, aligned system. By focusing on high-quality curriculum, collaborative learning, and targeted student support, the School District of Janesville is proving that a unified commitment to excellence can elevate performance across an entire community.

The Janesville School District will be presenting on this topic at the Creating a Culture of Excellence for All Conference June 25-26 at the Madison Marriott West.