Continuation and Expansion of the SAGE Program

The citizens of Northwest Wisconsin request continuation and expansion of the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program to grades 4 and 5 in the Superior School District.

When an education bill dealing with SAGE issues is introduced in the legislature, please support language that allows our requested expansion of SAGE programs.

The SAGE program demonstrates that a lower student/teacher ratio, a revised curriculum emphasizing developmentally appropriate materials and activities, and additional staff development result in higher student achievement. A first-year evaluation of SAGE conducted by the Center for Urban Initiatives and Research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee indicates that average scale scores of SAGE students were 4.6 points higher on standardized tests than the scores of comparison students.

SAGE teachers note the positive effect smaller class size has on children. More time is spent on learning and a greater portion of instruction is individualized. Little time is spent on managing the class or dealing with discipline problems.

Two Superior School District elementary schools, Blaine and Cooper, participate in the SAGE program. Both schools meet the criteria of enrolling 50% or more children receiving free or reduced lunch. this year, 415 students, 7.4% of the school district's total enrollment, are enrolled in kindergarten, first, and second grade SAGE classrooms.