In just one year, the students of St. Joseph Academy (SJA) on Milwaukee’s Southside, have exceeded expectations, as reported in the WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) state report card. SJA students grew leaps and bounds in the 2017-18 school year, compared to 2016-17. Of the state’s four priority areas – Student Achievement, School Growth, Closing Gaps and On-track and Postsecondary Readiness – SJA scored above or near the state average in almost all categories.

In the School Growth category, the largest jump in scores was in English Language Arts (ELA) Growth, improving from 21.6 to 39.7 out of 50. This increase is due to the hard work of the students and faculty and the implementation of a plan to improve literacy school-wide. Parts of that plan included: a school-wide emphasis on Reading, Literacy, and ELL, a special Literacy class, enhanced learning opportunities with technology, restructuring the daily schedule to allow more time for reading and math, and student-based achievement goals focused on growth.

While emphasis for SJA and the teachers continues to be Literacy, the mathematics program also received upgrades for the 2018-19 school year. With a more comprehensive math curriculum, the students are being challenged at a new level. Reports are already showing improved results upon last year’s math performance.

One year makes all the difference for the students at SJA. Last year, according to the DPI state report card, the school “Met Few Expectations”. However, according to the latest state report card, SJA “Exceeds Expectations”. In fact, the overall score grew more than 20 points from the previous year. The staff of St. Joseph Academy is dedicated to the students’ improvement and success. They strive to ensure that their students continue their education through high school and achieve higher education goals.

St. Joseph Academy is a Catholic educational organization sponsored by the Felician Sisters. Their Mission is to educate children to be successful life-long learners and problem solvers. They are guided by the Felician Values for Ministry of Respect for Human Dignity, Compassion, Justice and Peace, Transformation and Solidarity with the Poor. They have partnered with families and the community for over 100 years to fulfill this mission.

SJA’s Early Childhood Education Center serves infants and toddlers from six weeks to four years of age. This program is nationally accredited through the National Accreditation Commission and has achieved the highest five star rating through Young Star.

SJA’s Elementary and Middle School is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as a Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and is both AdvancED and Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation (WRISA) accredited. Together, St. Joseph Academy offers a vibrant educationally rich curriculum for students 6 weeks old to 8^th grade all housed in one building, helping to maintain a sense of community and support for our students and families.