(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is asking the state’s Department of Public Instruction for more transparency in its school report card grading system.
The group says that it found one school with just 4.1% English language arts proficiency that was rated as “exceeds expectations” and 18 schools that were graded “exceeds expectations” that had less than 25% ELA proficiency.
DPI announced earlier this year that it formed a committee of more than two dozen educators and leaders from public, private, and charter schools that began meeting in June to create new state standards after prior changes to the report card grading system.
“Wisconsin is falling behind the rest of the country academically and changing standards only masks this decline,” said WILL Research Director Will Flanders. “Instead of raising the bar, we are simply putting our heads in the sand. It’s why WILL is encouraging DPI to follow through on its commitment to Wisconsin students and adopt report card standards that give true insight into school performance.”
WILL previously had pressured state leaders to act after it found that the state lowered school report card cut points in 2020-21, changed the labels on those in 2023-24 and lowered the cut points again that year as well.
WILL’s Wednesday letter to DPI and the committee warned against what it called DPI’s “track record of inflating ratings that masks a decades-long stagnation in student achievement.”
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WILL instead encouraged a more rigorous grading system that blocks grade inflation, because it says the prior system was “too generous and overcompensates for poverty.”
“Families across Wisconsin deserve a report card that is clear, accurate, and consistent,” WILL wrote. “The recent changes to the Forward Exam last year have cost DPI public trust when it comes to accountability. By working with WILL to best support students and families, DPI has an opportunity to restore that trust.”