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All but about two percent of Wisconsin’s 424 public school districts met or exceeded the state’s achievement expectations during the last school year. Annual report cards released by the state Department of Public Instruction on Tuesday also show that 88 percent of individual schools met or surpassed their expectations.
It’s the third year the Department of Public Instruction has issued report cards for each building, and the second year for districts as a whole. Schools are evaluated by their math and reading scores in statewide tests, student growth, getting students ready for college and careers, and reducing racial and ethnic achievement gaps.
In a statement, DPI Superintendent Tony Evers said “Most of our public schools and school districts are providing a solid education to our children, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels. These report cards are a good communication device to focus discussion among parents, schools, and communities on how our schools and school districts are doing and how they can continue to improve.”
Top ratings in the state went to nine districts and 116 schools. The Milwaukee School District was the only one that failed to meet the state’s expectations. Evers said the report cards are not meant to punish low-performing schools, but to help them improve and learn from the best practices of others.