A curriculum focused on project-based and personalized learning may be unconventional, but that approach is exactly what Waukesha East High School says makes it successful.
It's hard to argue with the school's track record. The alternative high school, which serves 85 students in grades nine through 12, has improved its graduation rate from 80.8% for the class of 2022 to 92.8% for the class of 2024. The 2022-23 school year was the first year with the new approach.
The school's attendance rate has also advanced, jumping from 56.8% in the 2020-21 school year to 87.7% so far in 2024-25, according to data provided by school principal Susan Poppe.
Read the article written for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Alec Johnson
Image: Some of Waukesha East High School's students and staff are shown here. Pictured are, from left, student Nicole Torres, Waukesha East High School principal Susan Poppe, student Caleb Davis, teacher Patty Homath, student Ishmael Moreno, teacher Becky Kozak, teacher Dan Diederich, student James Jackson, student Gabe Hankins and student Bella Anderson.
Alec Johnson / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel