Milwaukee Public Schools Failure to Properly Use Data

Bruce Thompson

There has been surprisingly little discussion about why Wisconsin did not win a Race to the Top grant. A look at the points awarded for each section of Wisconsin's application and the accompanying reviewer comments makes it clear that the failure to use student achievement data to inform decisions was the most important contributor to Wisconsin's loss. More aggressive use of these data would have put Wisconsin within striking distance of winning.

The irony of Wisconsin's loss is that its largest district, Milwaukee Public Schools, was one of the pioneers of the value-added movement. Ten years ago, it started work on a value-added model that has since spread to other cities and states, including some Race to the Top winners.

This reluctance to use data seems deeply ingrained in Wisconsin's education culture.

For example, the state defines "highly qualified teachers" in very traditional terms, such as degrees, certifications, courses taken, and years of experience. Unfortunately, most research has found little correlation between these traditional measures and student achievement gains, which Wisconsin ignores.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 1, 2010 1:02 AM
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