Subcommittee reviews high‑school career planning guide, Laude honors and Wisconsin guarantee implications
February 16, 2026 | Waunakee Community School District, School Districts, Wisconsin
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Waunakee Community School District curriculum staff presented the high‑school Academic & Career Planning (E4E) guide on Feb. 16 and briefed the committee on changes to course sequencing, honors calculations and reporting for college access programs.
Tim Shell said the guide emphasizes career‑aligned course selection and includes an abbreviated version for rising ninth graders, flowcharts for course sequences and a course registration timeline. The guide removes non‑sequential prerequisites for the current school year while retaining required preparatory learning where necessary, Shell said.
Shell and Amy Johnson described the district’s Laude honors system, which begins with a minimum GPA threshold and adds Laude points for qualifying semesters. The presenters said the Laude system is being used under a two‑year state waiver in place of a straight GPA calculation for the Wisconsin guarantee ranking (top 5%/top 10% snapshots are taken at the end of the junior year). The presenters said the waiver has not yet required a tie‑breaker but suggested a tie‑breaking mechanism (such as ACT scores) may be proposed when the waiver is renewed.
The presenters also summarized county report‑card measures used to illustrate post‑secondary readiness: Waunakee ranks among the top five Dane County districts on AP participation (third), dual‑credit completion (third), work‑based learning participation (first) and industry‑recognized credentials (fourth). Presenters acknowledged gaps in AP and dual‑credit participation they are addressing through registration and prerequisite changes.
Committee members moved, seconded and approved by voice vote to forward the Academic & Career Planning guide to the full board for the March meeting.
District staff said the guide and supporting materials will be posted on the district website and that additional community review (including the district’s portrait of a graduate) will be scheduled before final updates are made to the E4E plan.
Tim Shell said the guide emphasizes career‑aligned course selection and includes an abbreviated version for rising ninth graders, flowcharts for course sequences and a course registration timeline. The guide removes non‑sequential prerequisites for the current school year while retaining required preparatory learning where necessary, Shell said.
Shell and Amy Johnson described the district’s Laude honors system, which begins with a minimum GPA threshold and adds Laude points for qualifying semesters. The presenters said the Laude system is being used under a two‑year state waiver in place of a straight GPA calculation for the Wisconsin guarantee ranking (top 5%/top 10% snapshots are taken at the end of the junior year). The presenters said the waiver has not yet required a tie‑breaker but suggested a tie‑breaking mechanism (such as ACT scores) may be proposed when the waiver is renewed.
The presenters also summarized county report‑card measures used to illustrate post‑secondary readiness: Waunakee ranks among the top five Dane County districts on AP participation (third), dual‑credit completion (third), work‑based learning participation (first) and industry‑recognized credentials (fourth). Presenters acknowledged gaps in AP and dual‑credit participation they are addressing through registration and prerequisite changes.
Committee members moved, seconded and approved by voice vote to forward the Academic & Career Planning guide to the full board for the March meeting.
District staff said the guide and supporting materials will be posted on the district website and that additional community review (including the district’s portrait of a graduate) will be scheduled before final updates are made to the E4E plan.
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