Is New Directions Learning Community a good school?

Yes! New Directions Learning Community is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 11 th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools.

How many students attend New Directions Learning Community?

In the 2022-23 school year, 257 students attended New Directions Learning Community.

What is the racial makeup of New Directions Learning Community?

Students at New Directions Learning Community are 90% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of New Directions Learning Community attend?

Students who attend New Directions Learning Community usually go on to attend: Middle : River View School High : Kaukauna High

New Directions Learning Community

Summary:

New Directions Learning Community is a public charter elementary school serving 257 students in grades PK-4 in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, which is part of the Kaukauna Area School District. This exceptional school has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in Wisconsin, ranking 11th out of 1,061 schools in the state for the 2023-2024 school year and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

New Directions Learning Community significantly outperforms the Kaukauna Area School District and the state of Wisconsin in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, 82.93% of 3rd graders and 87.8% of 4th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 67.44% and 65.12% for the district, and 52.07% and 53.42% for the state, respectively. The school also excels in serving all student subgroups, ranking in the top 26 out of over 1,000 Wisconsin elementary schools for female students, male students, white students, special education students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, New Directions Learning Community has maintained very low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 0% to 16.5% over the past several years, which is significantly better than the nearby schools and the state average.

While New Directions Learning Community is the top-performing school in the immediate area, there are several other high-performing elementary schools within a few miles, such as Woodland School and Janssen Elementary, which are part of the Kimberly Area School District. This suggests that the Kaukauna and Kimberly areas have a strong educational ecosystem that supports student success, and there may be opportunities for New Directions Learning Community to collaborate with these nearby high-performing schools to further enhance the educational experience for students in the region.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-4

2601 Sullivan Ave
Kaukauna, WI 54130

(920) 766-6116

District: Kaukauna Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
11^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,720

Students who attend New Directions Learning Community usually attend:

Middle:	River View School
High:	Kaukauna High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 257

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.3%

Hispanic:

5.8%

Two or more races:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.9%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare New Directions Learning Community to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details New Directions Learning Community ranks better than 99% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Kaukauna Area School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.37. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details New Directions Learning Community has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Kaukauna Area School District. Racial makeup is: White (90.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), two or more races (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Kaukauna Area School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Directions Learning Community is 16.2, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Kaukauna Area School District! (See more...)

Compare New Directions Learning Community employs 15.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Directions Learning Community is $9,720, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Kaukauna Area School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

New Directions Learning Community:

SchoolDigger ranks New Directions Learning Community 11^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See New Directions Learning Community in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Kaukauna Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Kaukauna Area School District 69^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for New Directions Learning Community

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Rank History for all students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2014	58.16	469^th	1061	55.8%
2015	62.56	420^th	1076	61.0%
2016	61.27	421^st	1075	60.8%
2017	71.52	264^th	1071	75.4%
2018	80.85	130^th	1025	87.3%
2019	83.28	100^th	1037	90.4%
2021	84.32	107^th	1050	89.8%
2022	93.94	14^th	1067	98.7%
2023	91.71	28^th	1067	97.4%
2024	93.37	11^th	1061	99.0%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	70.01	133^rd	721	81.6%
2019	89.57	23^rd	742	96.9%
2021	76.45	96^th	746	87.1%
2022	94.82	16^th	748	97.9%
2023	65.01	200^th	770	74.0%
2024	92.47	26^th	790	96.7%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	87.44	37^th	854	95.7%
2019	86.11	39^th	874	95.5%
2023	93.96	12^th	871	98.6%
2024	93.98	12^th	866	98.6%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	82.73	100^th	997	90.0%
2019	89.22	36^th	1002	96.4%
2021	84.79	95^th	1004	90.5%
2022	91.30	26^th	1017	97.4%
2023	88.52	48^th	1010	95.2%
2024	92.24	14^th	1011	98.6%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	77.22	163^rd	997	83.7%
2019	69.58	264^th	1002	73.7%
2021	80.69	117^th	1003	88.3%
2022	95.00	11^th	1017	98.9%
2023	92.69	15^th	1011	98.5%
2024	91.73	18^th	1012	98.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at New Directions Learning Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	91.69	20^th	715	97.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, January 27, 2017

NDLC has been an incredible, nurturing environment for our daughter with exceptional teachers and a focus on literacy and writing. The school works actively with Teacher's College of Columbia University (NYC), sending teachers every year to workshops there and bringing in specialists from NY to implement best practices in education. My only regret is that it stops at 4th grade. Close Quote

Enrollment information for New Directions Learning Community

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2012	86	2	0	3	0	1	92
2013	163	2	0	7	0	3	175
2014	186	2	0	8	0	7	203
2015	184	1	1	9	0	10	205
2016	217	0	2	12	0	9	240
2017	220	0	3	10	0	10	243
2018	214	1	3	9	2	10	239
2019	219	2	5	8	0	7	241
2020	209	2	4	12	0	5	232
2021	207	3	3	16	0	4	233
2022	211	3	4	16	0	6	240
2023	232	2	3	15	0	5	257

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at New Directions Learning Community

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	92	4.5	20.2	20.7
2013	175	8.1	21.5	21.7
2014	203	10.1	19.9	19.7
2015	205	n/a	n/a	16.1
2016	240	13.0	18.4	11.7
2017	243	14.7	16.4	14.8
2018	239	14.3	16.6	14.6
2019	241	13.6	17.6	18.7
2020	232	14.1	16.4	14.2
2021	233	14.4	16.0	15.9
2022	240	16.3	14.6	15
2023	257	15.8	16.2	17.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio New Directions Learning Community

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	92	4.5	20.2	20.7
2013	175	8.1	21.5	21.7
2014	203	10.1	19.9	19.7
2015	205	n/a	n/a	16.1
2016	240	13.0	18.4	11.7
2017	243	14.7	16.4	14.8
2018	239	14.3	16.6	14.6
2019	241	13.6	17.6	18.7
2020	232	14.1	16.4	14.2
2021	233	14.4	16.0	15.9
2022	240	16.3	14.6	15
2023	257	15.8	16.2	17.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for New Directions Learning Community

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$223 (2.7%)	$7,951 (97.3%)	$8,174
2020	$208 (2.2%)	$9,087 (97.8%)	$9,295
2021	$255 (2.6%)	$9,465 (97.4%)	$9,720

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Directions Learning Community

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 100^th of 1037 Elementary schools	Ranks 28^th of 1067 Elementary schools	7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Directions Learning Community)	64.1	63.4	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kaukauna Area School District)	51.3	52.9	1.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Directions Learning Community)	82.1	70.7	11.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kaukauna Area School District)	61.2	63.2	2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (New Directions Learning Community)	58.1	82.1	23.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kaukauna Area School District)	51.1	53.4	2.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	43.9	45.8	1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Directions Learning Community)	72.1	73.7	1.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kaukauna Area School District)	62.1	55.3	6.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	46.2	46.5	0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (New Directions Learning Community)	69.8	84.2	14.4%
4th Grade Social Studies (Kaukauna Area School District)	59.7	69.1	9.4%
4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	53.4	59.7	6.4%
4th Grade Science (New Directions Learning Community)	65.1	86.8	21.7%
4th Grade Science (Kaukauna Area School District)	64.4	58.4	6.1%
4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	53.9	52.1	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	241	257	6.6%
African American	2	2
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	8	15	87.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	219	232	5.9%
Two or More Races	7	5	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.7%	17.9%	0.8%

Schools Near New Directions Learning Community

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)					Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)					Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Quinney Elementary	Public	2-4	2601 Sullivan Ave	Kaukauna	54130	Outagamie County	Kaukauna Area School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 766-6116	352	26	13.6	22.2%	289 (82.1%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (8.0%)	13 (3.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.1%)	76	217^th of 1061 public elementary schools	79.5%		75	220^th of 1067 public elementary schools	79.4%	3	61.5	60.6				73.1	72.7				78.8	69.7	$11,680	$259	$11,421
New Directions Learning Community	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	2601 Sullivan Ave	Kaukauna	54130	Outagamie County	Kaukauna Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(920) 766-6116	257	16	16.2	17.9%	232 (90.3%)	2 (0.8%)	15 (5.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	93.4	11^th of 1061 public elementary schools	99.0%		91.7	28^th of 1067 public elementary schools	97.4%	17	82.9	87.8				87.8	85.4				90.2	85.4	$9,720	$255	$9,465
Dr H B Tanner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	2500 Fieldcrest Dr	Kaukauna	54130	Outagamie County	Kaukauna Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 766-6150	502	34	14.7	26.3%	411 (81.9%)	4 (0.8%)	48 (9.6%)	10 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.4%)								(n/a)													$10,949	$577	$10,372
Janssen Elementary	Public	K-4	420 Wallace St	Combined Locks	54113	Outagamie County	Kimberly Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 788-7915	385	30	12.7	24.2%	334 (86.8%)	5 (1.3%)	16 (4.2%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.7%)	76.7	206^th of 1061 public elementary schools	80.6%		74	238^th of 1067 public elementary schools	77.7%	32	73.4	71.1				70.9	70.0				74.4	61.1	$10,197	$608	$9,589
Park Community Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	509 Lawe St	Kaukauna	54130	Outagamie County	Kaukauna Area School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(920) 766-6129	268	17	15.7	32.5%	221 (82.5%)	6 (2.2%)	12 (4.5%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.7%)	77.2	201^st of 1061 public elementary schools	81.1%		67.1	336^th of 1067 public elementary schools	68.5%	135	78.1	64.3				80.5	69.8				67.4	67.4	$11,434	$261	$11,173
Haen Elementary	Public	1-4	1130 Haen Dr	Kaukauna	54130	Outagamie County	Kaukauna Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 766-6134	269	26	10.5	39.0%	208 (77.3%)	8 (3.0%)	17 (6.3%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.9%)	67.7	362^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	65.9%		44.5	667^th of 1067 public elementary schools	37.5%	305	63.2	60.6				58.8	69.7				72.7	59.1	$16,341	$987	$15,354
Little Chute Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	901 Grand Ave	Little Chute	54140	Outagamie County	Little Chute Area School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(920) 788-7610	593	42	14.2	35.2%	482 (81.3%)	12 (2.0%)	54 (9.1%)	11 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.6%)	63.6	427^th of 1061 public elementary schools	59.8%		56.1	516^th of 1067 public elementary schools	51.6%	89	61.7	70.0				46.7	57.0				67.0	69.0	$12,003	$662	$11,340
Flex Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	325 Meulemans St	Little Chute	54140	Outagamie County	Little Chute Area School District	Yes	No	Yes	(n/a)	(920) 788-7605	61	5	12.2	23.0%	55 (90.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.8%)	69.5	330^th of 1061 public elementary schools	68.9%		78.3	186^th of 1067 public elementary schools	82.6%	144	64.3		62.5	60.0	55.6	85.7		37.5	60.0	66.7			$8,530	$245	$8,285
Sunrise Elementary	Public	K-4	N9363 Exploration Dr	Appleton	54915	Outagamie County	Kimberly Area School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 954-1822	467	30	15.5	13.1%	415 (88.9%)	3 (0.6%)	20 (4.3%)	10 (2.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.4%)	84	103^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	90.3%		86.3	83^rd of 1067 public elementary schools	92.2%	20	66.3	77.3				75.8	79.6				78.4	78.4	$10,082	$527	$9,555
Westside Elementary	Public	K-4	746 W 3rd St	Kimberly	54136	Outagamie County	Kimberly Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 739-3578	427	34	12.6	33.7%	339 (79.4%)	14 (3.3%)	30 (7.0%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.5%)	64.3	415^th of 1061 public elementary schools	60.9%		70.7	285^th of 1067 public elementary schools	73.3%	130	61.1	58.6				65.6	67.8				64.4	55.2	$11,017	$1,132	$9,884

New Directions Learning Community

New Directions Learning Community:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Kaukauna Area School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for all students at New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for Special Education students at New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for Female students at New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for Male students at New Directions Learning Community

Rank History for White students at New Directions Learning Community

Review counts

Enrollment information for New Directions Learning Community

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at New Directions Learning Community

Student/Teacher Ratio New Directions Learning Community

Per Pupil Expenditures for New Directions Learning Community

Impact of COVID-19 on New Directions Learning Community

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near New Directions Learning Community

Frequently Asked Questions about New Directions Learning Community

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