Ken Syke, Madison School District Public Information:

Three conclusions from this year’s Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination results for Madison School District students:

  1. The performance of Madison School District students was relatively unchanged from last year in reading and math across the seven tested grade levels.
  2. MMSD’s non-low income students continue to outperform their Wisconsin peers in reading and math.
  3. Small gains were made in 10 of 14 scores on the achievement gap but the differences remain too significant.

1. In reading, across the seven grades tested, four grade levels had an increase in the percentage of students scoring at the Proficient or higher performance categories compared with the previous year while three grades showed a decline in the percentage. In math, four grades increased Proficient or higher performance, one grade declined and two grades remained the same. (See Table 1 below.)

The WKCE has been criticized for its lack of rigor. It may be replaced in the not too distant future.