Blog & Whitepapers

A closer examination of equity and student achievement data reveals some surprising counter-intuition, in places. As will be discussed and presented by John Humphries, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association for Equity in Funding, monetary investments in instructional spending do not always directly correlate with equity in student achievement gains. It is also worth noting discrepancies between per-pupil spending and their intended outcomes regarding staffing levels, classroom size, and quality of education.

At long last, we have witnessed an increased emphasis and investment in achieving equity in education in Wisconsin. But how do we measure whether our intentions are resulting in desired outcomes, and that equity gains are truly equitable from school to school and district to district?

Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with originating the quote, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”Never has that sentiment been proven more prescient than today. In fact, within less than a week’s time, I was told by three different administrators in municipal government that the best predictor of a community’s future economic success is academic performance in that community’s public schools. Specifically, third-grade reading proficiency has been found to directly correlate to the economic development and career opportunity environment of cities, townships and villages across the United States.

At long last, we have witnessed an increased emphasis and investment in achieving equity in education in Wisconsin. But how do we measure whether our intentions are resulting in desired outcomes, and that equity gains are truly equitable from school to school and district to district?

Remember those famous paintings by Georges Seurat? Seurat used a technique known as pointillism. He and others would paint beautiful landscapes by using a multitude of small dots, carefully placed in harmony to create beautiful imagery. The technique relies on the ability of the eye and mind of the viewer to blend the color spots into a fuller range of tones.

Munetrix recently announced the launch of its latest product suite: Neighborhood Intel: planning, analytics and reporting software for governments and public-sector partners.

According to the Nation’s Report Card, an annual assessment of student achievement delivered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reading and mathematics scores declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, something many feared and expected would happen.

A December 1st deadline may seem far away, but each year we receive last-minute requests from managers and administrators at cities, townships and villages across Michigan, looking to meet their CVTRS filing obligations at the last minute. Thankfully, we can help them produce and submit the requisite documentation, along with creating the necessary compliance documentation, in a matter of minutes.

The Munetrix Financial Module helps districts increase transparency on fiscal, operations, safety, and other compliance reporting with their community. The Financial Module also provides districts with tools that make managing and reporting on capital improvement projects, benchmarking/peer analysis, debt obligations, check expenditures, budgeting, forecasting and scenario building – EASY!

Persistent and historically high inflation is dramatically impacting municipalities nationwide, in some cases completely altering prior projections and forecasts. Some municipal leaders are finding it necessary to completely rethink and redraft their budgets in order to reflect the new realities.

American computer scientist Kurt Bollacker once said that, “Data that is loved tends to survive.” While many of us might find it difficult to “love” data, it is the lifeline of the organizations we run. Data tells us how we’ve performed in the past, what is likely to happen in the future, and how we can alter the path forward, for better or worse. So while we may prefer to ignore data than love it, we do so at our own peril.

EdTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies and solutions in the global educational technology market, announced that the Munetrix Enterprise Edition for Schools has earned recognition as the “Overall EdTech Solution of the Year” in the 2022 EdTech Breakthrough Awards.