Corrinne Hess:

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. 

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