Grades. The bane of most students’ existence. An evaluation of learning and growth that can double as an incentive for freedoms, or a consequence to apathy. Teens can rest easy knowing they aren’t the only ones under the microscope of evaluation. On November 11, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issued its annual report card for the Oshkosh Area School District. Reflecting on the 2024-25 school year, the report covered a wide range of environmental and academic factors that contribute to district success.

OASD Superintendent, Dr. Bryan Davis was excited about the district’s performance as a whole.

photo courtesy of OASD website
OASD Superintendent Dr. Bryan Davis.

“We reached the ‘Exceeds Expectations’ mark for the first time since around 2017-2018,” he said. “That’s definitely something for us to celebrate as we move forward.”

West also scored highly, ranking among ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in more than one category. According to Principal Becky Montour, West stands out for its multifaceted achievements.

“We shine in multiple areas. Some schools are strong at achieving good test scores, while other schools are good at leveling students up,” she said. “We do well at both.”

Schools in the district are sized up in a number of categories, all of which reflect a well-rounded education and environment.

“The indicators on the school report card show the breakdown of scoring in student achievements, growth, how we do with targeted populations, attendance, and standardized testing, specifically the FE,” Dr. Davis said.

Recently, West has seen increased attendance rates. Montour credits attendance as vital for academic success.

“I think students here genuinely care about their grades and achievements,” she said. “Our attendance rates are up, and that’s usually the number one indicator of how well a student is going to do at school.”

Junior Grace Schellinger believes that incentivizing academic requirements with involvement in activities is something that the school does particularly well.

“I think our school continues to exceed expectations because of the involvement,” she said. “There are lots of extracurriculars that require you to be academically eligible, so I think that had something to do with it.”

According to Schellinger, a little competition is healthy for students.

“I see lots of my peers excelling in their classes which encourages me, almost in a competitive way, to get good grades,” she said.

From an administrative standpoint, Montour applauds the drastic improvements that West has made for students across the board. This is especially true for students that might not find themselves doing well in the average curriculum.

“West has always been good at achievement, but as of the last four or five years, we have also made progress at growing students and meeting their needs,” she said. “One of the things that we noticed from last year to this year is that students who have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) or don’t speak English as their first language have made significant growth.”

Though West has made impressive strides, Montour believes that more attention can still be applied to helping struggling students reach standards for core classes.

“We try to focus a lot of our support on students who are not yet at grade level, especially in English and math,” she said. “Some students have to cover two to three years worth of content in order to catch up with their peers on top of their normal classes all in one year.”

Specifically, senior Henry Bongers sees that improving English skills has been something the district has been focusing on for some time.

“Our literacy rates are up, and I know literacy has been a focus of not only Oshkosh West but also in the community in general,” he said. “I’m glad to see those efforts paying off.”

Despite areas that still could use growth, Montour is confident in West’s culture.

We have a strong community here. Students and staff both work hard and inspire each other, and that all plays in,” she said. “The staff here works really hard, and they are good at meeting students where they are, problem-solving, and doing everything they can to support them. That shows in our report card.”

Overall, Davis admired the widespread dedication across the district, crediting it for the notable improvements made in the OASD.

“Really proud of the hard work that allowed us to get to ‘Exceeds Expectations’,” he said. “It definitely shows progress from where we’ve been before.”

by Phoebe Fletcher

Published December 1, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue III

West ‘exceeds expectations’ on latest DPI report card