New survey shows Wisconsin parents struggle to understand public school systems

Wisconsin parents are overestimating how well their children are doing in school while underestimating how much money school districts have to spend on education, according to a new national survey. 

The State of Educational Opportunity in Wisconsin study was conducted by 50Can, a Washington D.C.-based non-partisan educational organization that surveyed 20,000 parents. 

In Wisconsin, the group partnered with the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. About 400 parents and guardians of school-aged children across the state were surveyed between July 8 and Aug. 22, 2024. 

Marc Porter Magee, chief executive officer of 50CAN, said national and Wisconsin survey results show parents want more information about their children’s schools, but it has to be easy to understand. 

“It’s critical that Wisconsin policy makers take a serious look at our finding and work to address the information gap,” Porter Magee said. 

Overestimating how well children are performing

More than 40 percent of Wisconsin parents believe their child is “above grade level” in math, and 45 percent said the same about reading, according to Wisconsin survey results. 

Only 9.5 percent of students were ranked “advanced” in math and just over 8 percent rated “advanced” in reading on the 2022-23 Forward Exam, a statewide test taken by Wisconsin’s 3rd through 8th graders. Fewer than 40 percent were rated “proficient.” 

But measuring student achievement is difficult. This year, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction changed its state test score benchmarks, making it so 2023-24 scores can’t be compared to previous years. 

Looking at DPI numbers for 2023-24, 11.6 percent of Wisconsin students are “advanced” and 39.5 percent are “meeting expectations” in reading, while 19.8 percent of students are “advanced” and 33.4 percent are “meeting expectations” in math. 

WILL Research Director Will Flanders said parents have little knowledge of  how poorly many students are doing in school.

“We need to think about ways to make parents more aware of how their kids are actually performing, and not whistle past the graveyard of student performance as we continue to see low results,” Flanders said.

But the survey shows only 12 percent of parents are forming their opinions about student achievement from state test scores. The majority surveyed, 70 percent, said they rely on information their child’s teacher tells them at conferences, on the report card or through other communication. 

Parents unsatisfied with mental health support for older children

Data from Wisconsin’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows 59 percent of Wisconsin high school students have experienced at least one mental health challenge over the past year. The numbers are even higher for female and LGBTQ+ students. 

In the survey, parents say they’re satisfied with the support their school provides for their child’s emotional and mental health needs until about fourth grade. The transition from middle school to high school seems to be particularly challenging.

Overall, 37 percent of Wisconsin parents said they’re satisfied with mental health services, which matches the national average. 

Parents have many school choices but lack satisfaction

The state is home to 421 public school districts and the oldest private school voucher program in the country, giving parents many choices for their children. 

With 69 percent of parents reporting they believe they have options, Wisconsin ranks 10th nationwide in parental choice, according to the survey. 

At the same time, 65 percent of parents say they would make the same choice to send their child to the school they go to today. 

But only 44 percent of Wisconsin parents say they’re very satisfied with their child’s school. 

Less than one-third of parents said they were confident their children would be well equipped to succeed in the workforce or that they were well prepared for college. 

At the same time, only 28 percent of parents said they had reviewed information about a school’s performance, and 23 percent said they had attended a parent organization meeting at the school. 

The survey also found an unmet demand for tutoring services. 

Since 2019, 74 percent of parents reported their children have not received any academic tutoring. Among parents who are interested in tutoring for their children, 44 percent said cost is the primary barrier to access. 

“What we found in Wisconsin is there were, compared to other states, some really high highs and some really low lows,” Magee said. “So for example, Wisconsin is at the top of the country when we ask parents whether they have a choice of where to send their kids to school. But did your child have access to a tutor in the last year? Only 12 percent of parents said yes.” 

Parents unfamiliar with how much money school districts have

Despite an onslaught of school district referendums over the last five years, Wisconsin parents are unaware of school finances. 

Only 13 percent of parents responded that they are familiar with how budget decisions are made at their child’s school, compared to 20 percent nationally, making Wisconsin fourth worst in the country. 

About 60 percent of parents estimate Wisconsin spends less than $15,000 per student, with 49 percent believing schools spend less than $10,000 per student.

Public school districts spent about $17,900 on average per student between state, local and federal funds. The lowest funded district spends about $12,000 per student. 

The current state budget also included the largest financial expansion to private school choice in the program’s history. Voucher schools receive $9,500 per kindergarten through eighth grade  student and $12,000 for high school students. 

“We hear the rhetoric all the time that we need to be spending more money, but do folks even know how much we’re currently spending?” Flanders said. “This really shows the disconnect between the rhetoric of what sounds good and what people might actually think if they knew what we were spending.”