Wisconsin students raise math scores
Achievement of economically disadvantaged and
African-American students shows improvement
From the Department of Public Instruction
Overall scores increased or held steady on Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations (WKCE) administered in fall 2006, with positive gains in mathematics at almost all grades.
"We are on the right track," said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster in announcing WKCE results. "Despite increased poverty in Wisconsin, we saw gains at nearly every grade level in mathematics and rising or stable scores for reading on our statewide testing."
The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading and mathematics increased or held steady from the previous year for the "all student" group across all grades. When reviewed by subgroups, mathematics performance showed the largest improvements from last year in grades four through seven.
The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals averaged 32% among students tested through the Wisconsin Student Assessment System for the 2006-07 school year. That indicator of student poverty is up about 1.4% from last year and nearly 6% from four years ago. Mathematics performance for economically disadvantaged students showed improvement over four years for grades four, eight, and 10, and reading scores improved in grades eight and 10.
"At the state and district levels, educators are striving to raise achievement for all students," Burmaster said. "Our efforts are showing results."
Burmaster praised Milwaukee for implementing programs and practices to meet the academic needs of its students. The district reported stable scores or one-year gains in the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading and math in all but 10th grade.
At the state level, a comparison of the percentages of students scoring proficient and advanced by racial/ethnic group and by English proficiency and economic and disability status showed improvement in math achievement from fall 2005 to fall 2006 at many grade levels. Reading scores posted some gains, with African-American students showing the most progress. The percentage of African-American students scoring proficient or advanced in mathematics and reading increased from last year at all grade levels except 10th grade, which stayed the same for reading and dropped 3 percentage points in math.
"This year's scores show some closing of the achievement gap in Milwaukee. Statewide, however, achievement gaps between economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and their peers are still apparent. We must continue our efforts to provide a quality education for every child," Burmaster stressed. "Our school districts need stable funding that allows them to provide early learning opportunities, smaller class sizes, support for quality educators, and innovative programming, all part of our New Wisconsin Promise."
To meet requirements of federal education law, the Department of Public Instruction administered the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations-Criterion Referenced Tests (WKCE-CRTs) and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (WAA-SwD) in November 2006 to approximately 441,000 students. This is the second year of statewide testing in grades three through eight and grade 10 under federal law. Nearly every student in the tested grades took exams in reading and mathematics. Students in grades four, eight, and 10 also took exams in language arts, science, and social studies, as required by state law.
Results from the WKCE/WAA will be used for federal No Child Left Behind accountability purposes in the state's annual adequate yearly progress (AYP) evaluation. Schools and school districts will receive preliminary notification of their AYP status in mid-June.
Tables with additional information about statewide performance on Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations-Criterion Referenced Tests and Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities are available in the complete news release. Data on school and district-level performance are on the WINSS Web site. Click on "Data Analysis."
Posted May 22, 2007