Rocketship Wisconsin’s Incredible Academic Growth

by Kadeem Gill, Rocketship Wisconsin Executive Director

The close of the 23-24 school year brings end of year celebrations, kickball games, award ceremonies, and so much more. And at Rocketship Wisconsin, it also brings incredible academic achievement news.

On the nationally normed NWEA Map assessment, Rocketship Wisconsin has the best growth since offering all grades at both campuses. Rocketship Southside Community Prep earned its highest ever average growth in both subjects – 1.55 years in math and 1.32 in reading.

Rocketship Transformation Prep improved from last year and earned its highest growth in both subjects since reaching full enrollment in the 21-22 school year.

Wisconsin has the widest racial achievement gap of any state and the disparities are even worse in Milwaukee. But at Rocketship, we’re closing that achievement gap, every single day in every single classroom. Classrooms like Lauren Geary’s third grade at Rocketship Southside Community Prep who led her Rocketeers to achieve 1.84 years of growth in math this year. Growing nearly two full school years worth of academic achievement in just one year, and repeating that year-after-year, is how we will close the achievement gap in our lifetime and get our Rocketeers on the path to college and career success.

Rocketeers like Jocelyn, whose story we shared last year. Next fall, Jocelyn is going to Marquette University’s College of Health Sciences, pursuing a Speech Pathology (BS) minor in Spanish. Jocelyn earned the McCray Scholarship and is a Marquette Urban Scholar which means she will graduate from Marquette debt free. Jocelyn recently shared:

“As for my education at Rocketship, it provided a foundation for my ability to comprehend English. Since becoming bilingual with the help of my ELA teachers, I managed to continue to grow my comprehension and extend my reading capabilities. Rocketship also helped in laying out the next steps of my school career by teaming with UCC Acosta Middle School to send 5th graders into a similar system of education.

I can affirm that if it were not for Rocketship, I would be on a different route. I was taught the importance of community as a child and now it has become a reality. As I step into the final chapters of my education, I have the intention of dedicating my degree towards the Milwaukee community and become a beacon of possibilities for other minorities. I aspire to give back as many opportunities that were extended out to me and for that I am exceptionally grateful.”

Published on June 4, 2024