Educators Gather In Madison To Work On Achievement Gap

Educators gathered in Madison today to start their work on a new task force created to address the achievement gap in the state.

Wisconsin’s achievement gap between white students and students of color is the worst in the nation. That sobering statistic led state Superintendent Tony Evers to create the task force. It will identify and recommend best practices to be shared with schools across the state.

Evers says there are factors outside of the classroom that play a big role in the achievement gap, but there still is a lot educators can do.

“There are persistent poverty issues in the state of Wisconsin,” Evers said, “and job issues, but if we don’t start addressing what we can control in the classroom…

“I believe that if we engage students and they begin to have success,” he went on, “it’s going to be a lot easier to engage parents and bring them along in being partners in education.”

Demond Means is Superintentendent of the Mequon-Thiensville School District and is chair of the 17-member task force of teachers, principals and school staff from around the state. He says this collaboration is unique.

“In the past we’ve had school districts independently trying to address their achievement gaps in their schools or school districts, but we’ve never taken on a statewide initiative to develop strategies and techniques that can close the gap,” he said. “I’m very optimistic that this task force will mean a change in the performance of all of our students in Wisconsin.”

Members of the task force were chosen because their schools have had some success in decreasing achievement gaps. Means says the group will work to make a tool kit for teachers across the state to use later this year.