The Wisconsin Guarantee - Act 95

Rankings will be run once a year after summer semester grades have been transcripted. Student transcripts will include a notation of their percentile (Top 5% or Top 10%) by September 1, prior to the start of their senior year.  Qualifying students and parents will be notified at that time.   

For determining the top 5% and 10% of students, the district will include the first student or group of tied students whose numerical ranking
reaches 5% and 10%, respectively, of the total number of students in the Senior (12th grade) class at each high school in the district (Capital High School, Madison East High School, Innovative High School, Robert M. LaFollette High School, Malcolm Shabazz City High School, Vel Phillips Memorial High School and Madison West High School).

Students who are enrolled in at Madison Promise, Early College Stem Academy, Early College Education Academy, and all Early College Running Start Academies will be included in the ranking of their primary enrollment or “home” high school. All programs under Innovative High School (Gateway to College, Horizon High School, Madison College High School ED, Omega HSED, and Operation Fresh Start) will be included in the Innovative High School ranking.  If any of the graduating classes have 15-19 students, the student ranked #1 will be in the top 5% and the student ranked #2 will be in the top 10%, as per Wisconsin Guaranteed Admission Act 95. If any of the graduating classes have less than 15 students, they will not be ranked.

The following are included for transparency of anticipated common scenarios, and is not all-inclusive of all scenarios:

EXAMPLE: In a class of 574 students,

1. 5% is 28.7 students, and 10% is 57.4 students. The District will round down to the nearest whole number - meaning that 28.7 is rounded down to 28 students, and 57.4 is rounded down to 57 students by GPA, respectively. These students will receive a notation on their transcript.
2. In this class of 574 students, if the initial GPA-based ranking results in more than 28 students, MMSD will apply the tiebreaking process so that no more than 5% of the total class is included. 
       

For example:    

• If 41 students are tied with a 4.0 GPA, the tiebreaker process will then be applied to all 41 students in order to identify 28 who will receive the top 5% notation on their transcript.   
• If 20 students are tied with a 4.0 GPA, and 15 students are tied with a 3.99, the top 20 will receive a top 5% notation on their transcript. The 15 students tied at 3.99 GPA will have the tiebreaking process applied to determine 8 who will also receive the top 5% notation on their transcript. 
• Students 29-55 will receive the top 10% notation on their transcript. However, if there are students beyond number 55 with GPAs tied with number 55, the tiebreaker process will then be applied to those students.

Beginning with the Class of 2027, MMSD will implement tiebreaking practices so that no more than 5% or 10% of the total class is identified for the Wisconsin Guarantee. The tiebreaking criteria below will be applied in succession:

1. Highest ACT Composite Score according to MMSD records: Students may use an ACT composite score from any testing date (state-administered or national). Students must ensure that an official score report is sent directly from ACT to MMSD. MMSD must receive the score by August 1 preceding their senior year. 
2. Total number of courses taken and passed that can earn college credit: This includes Advanced Placement (AP), Early College Credit Program (ECCP) coursework, Start College Now coursework, Madison College Academies coursework, and courses that offer dual-transcripted credit within MMSD schools. Each course counts as one course, whether it is a yearlong or semester-long course.
    

Student transcripts will include a notation indicating whether the student ranks within the top 5% or top 10% of their class, without providing an exact numerical rank (percentile rank only).  MMSD will only send official transcripts with the top 5% and top 10% notations to Universities of Wisconsin schools, to comply with Wisconsin Guaranteed Admission ACT 95.  All other official transcripts sent out will be unranked and will not include the top 5% and top 10% notations.  
 

To receive a GPA-based ranking, a student must be fully enrolled in MMSD by August 1, prior to their senior year. The student will only be considered in the school they have a Primary Enrollment, and must be full-time students.  Students must also be on track to graduate and need no more than 8.0 credits in order to graduate.