MMSD and Edgewood University Partner to Expand Dual Credit Math Courses and Strengthen Teacher Preparation

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and Edgewood University have launched a new partnership that will expand access to dual credit mathematics courses for high school students and provide enhanced training and credentialing for MMSD educators.

The initiative will support a cohort of up to 25 MMSD teachers in earning the qualifications needed to teach dual credit math courses at their own high schools. The effort directly advances a commitment MMSD leaders shared during the Board of Education’s October Operations Work Group meeting to expand college-credit classes taught by MMSD educators, ensuring students can access college-level learning without leaving their school campus.

“This partnership represents an important investment in both our educators and our students,” said Mary Jankovich, MMSD’s executive director of college, career and community readiness. “By preparing more teachers to deliver dual credit courses, we can help more students build confidence and readiness for their postsecondary plans.”

Through the collaboration, Edgewood University will provide targeted professional learning and credentialing for participating teachers. These educators will be equipped to offer dual credit math courses aligned with college standards, increasing consistency and equity across attendance areas. 

“We are pleased to partner on this transformative initiative providing professional development for high school educators,” said Michael Meissen, associate vice president for strategic partnerships at Edgewood University. “Through this work we will strengthen pathways for Madison’s high school students toward postsecondary education, workforce development and community engagement. This work supports our mission to respond to essential community needs.”

The initiative is scheduled to run from March 2026 through January 2027 and is supported by a $90,000 investment from MMSD’s College, Career and Community Readiness budget. This first cohort marks the beginning of a multi-year effort to increase the district’s capacity for dual credit instruction. 

MMSD and Edgewood University expect the partnership to improve access to advanced learning, support educator growth, and strengthen postsecondary preparation for students across the district.

To learn more about the early college opportunities available to MMSD students, please visit the district’s website.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

About Edgewood University

Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood University is a comprehensive, Catholic university in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Edgewood University offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, nursing practice, and business administration. Edgewood University is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Collegiate Athletics Association and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information about Edgewood University, please visit www.edgewood.edu, or call Ed Taylor at 608-663-2333.

UW Board of Regents approves UW–Madison proposal to create College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence

A proposal from the University of Wisconsin–Madison to reorganize the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) into a standalone college was approved today by the UW Board of Regents at its December meeting at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. 

This vote marks a critical step toward the creation of a College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI), building on decades of investment in scholarship, research and teaching and the university’s strengths in computer, data, library and information sciences and statistics. The proposal grew out of the continuing success of CDIS, which was created within the College of Letters & Science (L&S) in 2019.  

With the authority granted today by the Regents to UW–Madison to form a new college, which would be the first at the university in many decades, the next several months will involve engaging university governance and a broad cross-campus consultation process to shape and hone further aspects of its creation.  

An official announcement of the new college is anticipated to come later this spring and the operating start of the new college is expected to be July 1, 2026. 

“We greatly appreciate the Regents’ support for this important vision for UW–Madison and we are excited by this important step toward making this new college a reality. This will be about more than simply building a new academic unit,” says Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin. “We will be shaping a future where UW–Madison leads in innovation while advancing knowledge for the common good. We want to prepare UW–Madison students for a world where computing and technology intersect with every profession and discipline, from patient care to teaching, biomedical research to the humanities.” 

The reorganization would involve CDIS’s three units: Computer Sciences, the Information School and Statistics. 

“Our expectation is that this college will further strengthen our excellence in these critical disciplines, and that it will also deeply engage both internally and across campus with AI as a transformative and disruptive force, considering it as a technological tool with vast problem-solving potential while also confronting its significant moral and ethical implications,” Chancellor Mnookin adds.  

A college to meet the moment 

In 2018, then-Chancellor Rebecca Blank charged the UW–Madison Working Group on Computing, made up of 12 alumni and individuals from campus and industry, to advise campus leaders and others on opportunities to increase educational offerings for students, improve the profile and research output of faculty and prepare students for the workforce. 

The resulting report, Wisconsin in the Information Age, led to the creation of CDIS in 2019. 

“Our vision, when we formed CDIS, was to create a school whose transformative power lies at the intersection between computing and data sciences and the arts, sciences, humanities and the social sciences, and whose experts help us derive meaning and develop policies around computing and data to change the world for the better,” says L&S Dean and astronomy professor Eric Wilcots. “This next step is another milestone in the fulfillment of that vision. The new college, as proposed, will allow UW to extend that deeply collaborative vision across campus, from the arts to medicine.” 

Reorganizing CDIS into a new college would help amplify the work already being done within its constituent units, from the Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture to the People and Robots Laboratory, while also better positioning it to serve as a dedicated hub for partnership, resources, research and educational opportunities for the rest of campus.

In recent years, enrollment in CDIS programs has significantly increased. In 2015, for example, 1,043 students were enrolled as computer science majors. In fall 2025, that number climbed to more than 3,000. In 2019, UW–Madison launched a data science major, which this fall boasts more than 1,700 enrolled students and is one of the fastest-growing majors on campus. And the information science major, launched in 2022, already enrolls 500 students. 

Computer sciences professor Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, who has led CDIS since last year, credits L&S with the success CDIS has achieved since its formation and says it will be important that CAI carry forward the same values, including intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinarity, a human-centered focus, access for undergraduates across the university (not just those majoring in CDIS disciplines) and serving as a catalyst for impactful cross-campus partnerships. 

“Artificial intelligence and computing are transforming every discipline, from veterinary medicine to political science, and we see the formation of a college as an important step toward serving as a campuswide resource while also meeting the needs of our students and the state of Wisconsin,” says Arpaci-Dusseau. “The future workforce will be defined by those who can integrate computing and AI fluently into every discipline.” 

Every major industry in the state, from agriculture to manufacturing and health care, is expected to be shaped by AI in the coming decade. The new college will help inform how society benefits from AI and reckons with its challenges and provide talent pipelines, research partnerships and statewide outreach to help Wisconsin lead in transformation.  

In fact, the 2019 report, which perhaps could not have predicted the meteoric rise of AI just around the corner, concluded that “computing is moving so fast that any campus entity in charge of computing would need a tremendous amount of flexibility and nimbleness to create new programs and initiatives quickly … A college has the most flexibility to create new research and educational programs.” 

The process 

UW–Madison has not launched a new academic division since 1983, when the School of Veterinary Medicine opened and admitted its first students.  

In 2023, the university commissioned a task force that was made up of national experts in the fields of computing, data and information sciences, recommended creating a new college, led by a dean, built upon the success of CDIS. Approval from the Board of Regents to move forward is a significant milestone in a multiyear, collaborative process to build it. 

Over the coming months, university leaders, faculty and staff will engage in transition planning and begin the search for the inaugural dean of CAI. Reorganization will include the formation of a steering committee and other structures intended to help drive the success of a new college. This includes consultation with key stakeholders across campus and beyond. 

Initially, the new college would draw primarily on resources transferred from CDIS’s current operating budget within the College of Letters & Science, including pulling from existing administrative structures. It will also secure private corporate and individual philanthropic support, a significant amount of which is expected to be announced in early 2026. The college will take a lean start-up approach, limiting the need for new positions, following best practices for financial responsibility. 

“As we look to build a College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, we are really looking to build a future that belongs to all of us: preparing our students, strengthening our research, serving our state and fulfilling the Wisconsin Idea in the digital age,” says interim Provost John Zumbrunnen. “The role of the new college would be to not only become a central hub for AI and computing expertise, but also to be a gathering place for scholars and students from a variety of disciplines to explore the opportunities and the challenges new technology like AI poses for all of us. It represents a natural evolution for a university known for connecting ideas across disciplines and turning discovery into impact.” 

A newly launched website for the envisioned College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence is expected to serve as a primary source of information for CAI. Visit the site to learn more and explore the future of the new college. 

M3 CEO Honored on BizTimes’ Wisconsin 275 List

M3 is proud to share that our CEO, Mike Victorson, has been named to BizTimes Milwaukee’s Wisconsin 275, a special publication recognizing the 275 most influential executives across Wisconsin’s economic sectors. This year-long research initiative by the BizTimes editorial team highlights business leaders whose vision and impact help shape the state’s business community. We congratulate Vic on this well-deserved recognition.

MMSD Announces Dr. Keona S. Jones as Senior Executive Director of Schools and Learning

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) has hired Dr. Keona S. Jones as its new Senior Executive Director of Schools and Learning, bringing nearly three decades of experience as an educator, administrator and statewide leader to the role.

Jones most recently served as the Assistant State Superintendent for the Division for Student and School Success at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. First appointed in 2019 and reappointed in 2021, she oversaw statewide efforts related to educational accountability, Title I programs, the Wisconsin Urban Leadership Institute and federal Education Stabilization Funds.

Her career includes more than 28 years of service in public, private and higher education settings. Jones has been a special education teacher, assistant principal, principal, early childhood education director, executive director, consultant, district administrator and adjunct lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She has also supported doctoral candidates as a dissertation advisor at Alverno College. She was named Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted for her leadership and commitment to student success.

“Dr. Jones brings a deep understanding of instructional excellence, student and staff supports, and the systems that help schools and students thrive,” said Dr. Carlettra Stanford, assistant superintendent of schools and learning. “Her experience positions her well to advance our strategic priorities and strengthen the structures that support our school communities. We are excited to welcome her to MMSD.”

Dr. Jones said she is excited to join the district and to continue her commitment to serving students, families and educators.

“I am honored to join MMSD and to partner with school communities that are deeply invested in student learning,” Jones said. “Throughout my career, I have believed in the power of strong relationships, equitable access and high expectations. I look forward to supporting leaders and teachers as we work together to ensure every student is known, challenged and supported.”

Jones earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership with curriculum and instruction and a doctoral degree in leadership, learning and service, both from Cardinal Stritch University.

For a complete listing of all available career opportunities with MMSD, please visit the district’s job portal.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

East High School Counselor Honored with Inaugural AVID Global Achievement Award

MADISON, Wis.—Sarah Elmore of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) East High School has been selected as an inaugural recipient of AVID’s Global Achievement Award – Counselor of the Year, a national honor recognizing educators who exemplify AVID’s mission of believing in students and preparing them for college, career and life.

As East High’s AVID counselor, Elmore blends a global perspective with deep care for students. Her background as both a teacher and counselor allows her to support students holistically, helping them build confidence, develop strong academic habits and navigate their paths to graduation and beyond.

“Sarah is an extraordinary advocate for students,” said Patrice Haste, East High School principal. “She believes in their potential, pushes them to challenge themselves and celebrates every step of their growth. Her impact on our school community is tremendous, and we are incredibly proud to see her recognized at the national level.”

At East, Elmore creates supportive structures to help students succeed in rigorous courses and prepare for college and career success.

“Sarah’s work shows exactly why AVID matters,” said Mary Jankovich, MMSD executive director of college, career and community readiness. “She helps students build the skills, confidence and vision they need for life after high school, and she does it with such heart. This award reflects the difference she makes every day.”

AVID, short for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a college and career readiness system used in school districts across the country. The program provides students with academic support, structured skill-building and a strong network of adult advocates, helping them succeed in advanced coursework and prepare for postsecondary opportunities.

Elmore was honored Dec. 11 during AVID’s Global Achievement Awards ceremony at the AVID National Conference in San Diego. Launched in celebration of AVID’s 45th anniversary, the awards highlight educators who turn high expectations into meaningful outcomes and who consistently help students see what is possible for their futures. Elmore’s recognition places East High and MMSD among the first recipients of AVID’s new Global Achievement Awards, celebrating educators who demonstrate unwavering belief in students and act on that belief in transformative ways.

For more information about AVID in MMSD, please visit the district’s website.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.