In line with past years, suburban Madison districts have performed better than the state as a whole. Waunakee’s by-grade scores, for example, range as high as 82% of sixth graders meeting or exceeding standards in math and as high as 80% of sixth graders meeting or exceeding standards in English/language arts.
Tim Schell, Waunakee’s director of secondary curriculum and instruction, attributed the success to, among other things, updates to assessments and instructional materials. He said the district’s school board “has set a goal for all Waunakee schools to ‘significantly exceed expectations’” on state report cards by June 2029.
This past spring marked the second year of an overhauled Forward exam that state Superintendent Jill Underly says better aligns with what students should be expected to know, but that others have criticized as a dumbing down of standards to make it appear students know more than they actually do.
That change is evident in test scores from before the overhaul. In 2022-23, for example, 41.1% of students statewide were considered proficient or better in math, while 39.2% were considered the same in English/language arts.
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Did taxpayer funded Wisconsin DPI Superintendent Underly Juice Test Scores for Reelection?
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Madison taxpayers have long supported far above average (now > $25,000 per student) K-12 tax & spending practices. This, despite long term, disastrous reading results.
Madison Schools: More $, No Accountability
The taxpayer funded Madison School District long used Reading Recovery…
The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”
My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results
2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results
Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.
“An emphasis on adult employment”
Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]
WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators
Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results
Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.
When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?