Investment in Public Education Pays Off

National test scores released Thursday (November 13, 2003) demonstrate that Wisconsin's investment in public education is paying off, according to Wisconsin Education Association Council President Stan Johnson.

Wisconsin students again outscored national averages on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a key test of 4th and 8th graders that is growing in significance.

In mathematics, Wisconsin 4th graders averaged 237, compared to a national average score of 234. At 8th grade, the average math score for 2003 was 284, compared to a national average of 276.

For reading, the 4th-grade score was 221 compared to 216 for the nation, while 8th graders had an average score of 266 compared to 261 nationally.

“National Assessment of Educational Progress results put Wisconsin’s students well ahead of the rest of the nation,” Johnson said. “Wisconsin ranks third in the nation in 8th-grade math and seventh in 8th-grade reading. Our 4th graders were also in the top 10 in both reading and math. This is all proof that Wisconsin has great schools, great teachers, great staff, and classrooms that work.”

“Wisconsin’s great schools are doing the right things,” Johnson said. “Highly qualified teachers and staff, SAGE’s smaller class sizes, and 4-year-old kindergarten are the ingredients in our great schools recipe.”

NAEP test results are taking on a greater significance because the federal government is using them to assess states' progress in meeting the standards of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, often referred to as the No Child Left Behind law.

Although a majority of Wisconsin students did not perform at what the test describes as a "proficient" level, analysts say NAEP sets a high standard for achieving its "proficient" rating. Importantly, Wisconsin students have raised their levels of performance. This year's average scores for 4th- and 8th-grade students were higher in both math and reading than they were in 1996. For example, the percentage of Wisconsin 4th graders scoring either proficient or advanced in math increased from 27% in 1996 to 35% this year.

The NAEP tests are run by the U.S. Department of Education. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense Domestic and Overseas schools participated in the assessments which included about 7,000 schools at 4th grade and 5,700 schools for 8th grade. In Wisconsin, approximately 3,000 4th-grade students from 127 schools and about 2,500 8th graders from 105 schools participated in the assessments. Because of the nature of the sample and test administration, individual scores for students, schools, or districts are not available.

Posted November 13, 2003