State schools show lower scores under new grading system

Wisconsin’s proficiency scores in math and science have dropped, under a new tougher system of measurement that the state is adopting as part of its new accountability system.

Under the new grading system, 48 percent of Wisconsin students are now proficient in math, that’s a decrease from 78 percent. Reading proficiency dropped from nearly 82 percent to nearly 36 percent.

State Superintendent Tony Evers says the new, more rigorous proficiency levels more accurately reflect college and career readiness. “We’re changing the benchmark of that measurement, but also we’re having higher expectations,” he says.

DPI says they adjusted scores from the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam to align with the National Assessment of Education Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.