The latest and final results of a statewide achievement test given to Wisconsin public school students shows reading and math scores were generally up from a year ago. However, the findings of the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations (WKCE) also shows minority student continued to lag behind.
The report shows that, overall, 48.6 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in mathematics, while 36.6 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in reading. Both scores were up over a five year period; about 1.8 points for math and 1.1 points for reading.
The state Department of Public Instruction says results were up across all racial and ethnic groups, although officials also note that state achievement gaps remain large.
State Superintendent Tony Evers says those gaps are why he appointed a special task force, which begins meeting this week, to “specifically address classroom-based practices that can impact Wisconsin’s achievement gap. The educators on my Promoting Excellence for All Task Force are from public, charter, and choice schools that are moving the needle on student achievement. We want them to tell us what works in their schools and help us apply these strategies in classrooms across the state.”
This is the last year the state will have results from the WKCE to examine. The exams, which have been used since 1992, are being replaced with other yearly exams that will measure progress much more often during the school year. The exams are aligned with the state’s Common Core standards, and Evers says they should help close racial-and-ethnic achievement gaps and prepare students better for college and careers.