The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District approved an initiative targeted at enhancing student achievement at a MMSD Board of Education meeting Monday, according to a university news release.
Forward Madison aims to increase student success by outlining three objectives to tackle teacher induction and education, according to UW-Madison School of Education Dean Julie Underwood.
“We believe that we will help all children by working together to ensure that every child has a great teacher in the classroom and a great principal in the building,” Underwood said in the release.
Forward Madison aims to ensure schools instate more thorough introductions and training to combat a statistic indicating 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession before their fifth year.
Furthermore, the plan calls for a commitment to sustained professional development and the evolution of programs promoting collaboration between UW-Madison and high school students interested in pursuing education. Such programs may include job shadowing and coursework opportunities during high school, as well as prospective district scholarships for academically successful students.