Newly released data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) shows that less than half of students in grades three through eleven are proficient in English and math. The statewide test results also highlight significant performance disparities among different racial and ethnic groups.
Across all tested grades, 47.7% of students met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, while 48.6% achieved the same standard in mathematics. The data encompasses results from the Forward Exam, the PreACT Secure, and the ACT.
Key Takeaways
- Statewide, just under half of Wisconsin students are proficient in core subjects like English (47.7%) and math (48.6%).
- Significant achievement gaps exist, with white students outperforming Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous students by a wide margin.
- For example, 61.1% of white students are proficient in reading, compared to just 18.1% of Black students.
- State officials attribute the results to challenges like student mental health, economic uncertainty, and poverty.
- The state recently adjusted its proficiency standards, making this year's data difficult to compare with results from before 2024.
Statewide Performance Overview
The latest academic assessment results provide a comprehensive look at student achievement across Wisconsin. The data combines scores from multiple standardized tests administered during the school year.
For students in third through eighth grade, who take the Forward Exam, the proficiency rates were slightly higher. In this group, 51.6% of students were proficient in reading and 53.1% were proficient in math. However, when combined with high school test results from the PreACT and ACT, the overall proficiency numbers decline.
Understanding the Data
The figures released by the DPI are based on three key assessments: the Forward Exam for grades 3-8, the PreACT Secure for grades 9-10, and the ACT for grade 11. It is also important to note that in 2024, the DPI lowered the threshold for what is considered proficient and changed descriptive terms, discontinuing the use of "basic" and "below basic."
Significant Racial and Ethnic Disparities
While the overall numbers present one picture, a breakdown by race and ethnicity reveals deep-seated inequalities in academic outcomes. The performance gap between white students and their non-white peers is substantial.
According to the DPI data, 61.1% of white students in grades 3-8 achieved proficiency in reading, and 64.0% did so in math. In stark contrast, the rates for students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds were significantly lower.
Performance by Student Group
The data shows a consistent pattern of lower proficiency rates for minority students:
- Black students: Only 18.1% were proficient in reading, and just 14.0% were proficient in math. This means 55.8% of Black students tested below grade level in math.
- Hispanic students: 33.0% achieved reading proficiency, while 31.2% were proficient in math.
- Indigenous students: 29.4% met the standard in reading, and 27.5% met it in math.
- Asian students: 48.0% were proficient in reading, and 53.9% were proficient in math.
A Tale of Two Outcomes
The gap in math proficiency between white (64.0%) and Black (14.0%) students is 50 percentage points. This highlights a profound disparity in educational results within the state's public school system.
Context and Official Responses
State education leaders caution against viewing the test scores in isolation. State Superintendent Jill Underly described the results as a "snapshot" taken on a single day and emphasized the importance of context.
"Our students, educators, and schools are facing growing challenges — from mental health struggles to economic uncertainty — and that context matters," Underly stated. "These results remind us why it’s so important to support the whole child and ensure every Wisconsin student has access to strong, caring educators."
A spokesperson for the DPI, Chris Bucher, directly linked academic performance to economic conditions. He noted that poverty plays a significant role in student achievement.
Bucher referenced the state's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which found that one in four high school students reported experiencing hunger. "Kids can’t learn if they are hungry," he said, adding that a proposal by Dr. Underly for universal school meals was removed from the state budget by the Legislature.
A Closer Look at Milwaukee
In Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), the state's largest district, the results showed minimal change from the previous year. While math scores saw a slight increase, proficiency in English, social studies, and science remained flat.
Proficiency levels in MPS varied by grade:
- English: Proficiency ranged from 19% for students in grades nine and ten to 29% for those in grades seven and eight.
- Math: Scores ranged from a low of 14% proficiency at grade 10 to a high of 24% at grade three.
To address these challenges, MPS is implementing a new literacy plan that requires 40 hours of dedicated training for all educators in the district. MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius expressed a forward-looking approach to the data.
"So I would anticipate in the future, we’ll see little bumps up, that’s what I would like to see," Cassellius said. "And if I don’t see bumps going up, then I know that I need to readjust our process and that, of course, is continuous improvement."
Comparing Public and Private Choice Schools
The data also allows for a comparison between public schools and students participating in Private School Choice Programs. In the 2024-25 school year, public school students showed a minor improvement in reading, with scores rising by 0.3 percentage points.
In contrast, students in Choice programs saw a 2.5 percentage point decline in reading performance on the Forward Exam. In math, public school performance dipped slightly by 0.3 percentage points, while Choice student performance fell by 2.7 percentage points, indicating a widening gap in this year's results.
