Wisconsin Students Again Excel on WSAS Standardized Tests
From the Department of Public Instruction
Nearly 200,000 students in grades four,
eight, and 10 who took statewide assessments earlier this year sustained
Wisconsin’s high performance from last year, and some minority groups
showed progress toward closing the achievement gap, especially in reading
and mathematics.
“It
should come as no surprise that students who score advanced and proficient
on these tests typically come from families that value education,”
said State Superintendent John T. Benson in announcing the results. “We
should be encouraged by the fact that even as more students take the tests,
the percentage of Wisconsin students who achieve proficiency remains far
above the national average.”
Participation in the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts
Examinations (WKCE) increased among most subgroups.
“For many years, students with disabilities
were automatically excluded from taking statewide tests,” Benson
noted. “We have worked diligently with school districts in recent
years to ensure that every child has an opportunity to participate in
and learn from this important measure of their knowledge and skills.”
The WKCE consists of short-answer and multiple-choice
questions in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social
studies. In addition, students write an essay.
The percentage of the state’s 17,000 African-American
students who scored proficient or advanced increased 2 points in both
reading and mathematics in grade four, one point in reading in grade eight,
and two points in reading and one point in mathematics in grade 10. Still,
the state superintendent expressed concern over the persistent achievement
gap between white and minority students.
“While we must be encouraged by any improvement,
these results don’t warrant a lengthy celebration,” said Benson.
“Indeed, they provide further evidence of the need for a Marshal
Plan, engaging every adult in Milwaukee in ensuring that every child is
in school every day.”
The state superintendent cited two Milwaukee elementary
schools for “improving student learning in ways that make us take
notice. Achievement levels of minority and low-income students at the
Clark Street and Kilbourn schools are among the highest in the state.
They provide examples of what works, and their success must be exported
to struggling schools with similar student populations.”
Among other key findings are:
- Wisconsin students scored well above students
nationally in every subject at every grade.
- Scores in mathematics and writing show the
greatest need for improvement.
- Girls outscored boys in reading and language
arts at every grade level. Boys scored higher in science in all grades
and higher in mathematics in all grades but fourth.
- White students scored significantly higher
in every subject at every grade level than students from other racial
or ethnic groups. Scores for African-American students showed continued
progress toward reducing the achievement gap.
- Dramatic differences exist in scores between
- students whose English proficiency is limited
and those who are proficient;
- students who have disabilities and those
who are nondisabled;
- students whose families are economically
disadvantaged and those whose families are not disadvantaged; and
- students who were not in the same school
district throughout the school year and those who stayed in same
district the full academic year.
“Programs that reduce class sizes in the
earliest grades, that involve parents and communities in children’s
learning, and that enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills will allow
us to continue to make progress in student achievement,” explained
Benson.
“A free and appropriate public education
is a birthright,” he concluded. “In Wisconsin, we have set a
goal to have every student achieve at the proficient and advanced levels.
It is a lofty and challenging goal that extends far beyond one set of
tests. It is in fact the foundation for future success and ultimately
for the preservation of our republic.”
Posted June 14, 2000