Reforming DPI's Testing Standards
Republican lawmakers are not wasting any time in trying to reverse the decision to lower Wisconsin’s education standards, and change how the state’s standardized tests are graded.
Sen. John Jagler, R-Watertown, and state Rep. Bob Wittke, R-Caledonia, on Tuesday introduced legislation to rollback the changes that State Superintendent Jill Underly ordered last fall.
“DPI must use the same cut scores, score ranges, and corresponding qualitative descriptions that DPI used for report cards published for the 2019-20 school year,” the plan reads.
Underlie ordered, without input from Gov. Evers or lawmakers, that Wisconsin’s state report cards would use different standards and cut scores. Underly also ordered new terminology for those tests.
Underly said the changes better help reflect where Wisconsin school kids are, and how they are learning.
Critics say the new scores make it appear as if kids are doing better on state tests, while the new standards open the door for schools to do worse.
Critics also say the new language that comes with the new scores and standards make it impossible for parents to know just how much their students may be struggling.
The proposed legislation addresses those concerns by requiring both:
That for “the Wisconsin Forward exam in English Language Arts and Mathematics, align cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories to the cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress;”
And that “for the PreACT and ACT with Writing in English, Reading, and Mathematics, use the same cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories that DPI used for the same assessments administered in the 2021-22 school year. The bill specifically requires DPI to use the terms “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient,” and “advanced” for pupil performance categories on these assessments.”
The proposed legislation drew immediate praise.
“The bill represents a critical step in restoring the ability of parents, policymakers, and taxpayers to assess how well Wisconsin’s schools are doing across the public, charter, and private voucher sectors. Make no mistake, since 2020, DPI has essentially changed the definition of success to mislead the public about stagnating academic performance in Wisconsin schools,” Will Flanders with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty said.
Brittany Kinser, who is running to replace Underly as state superintendent, also came-out in support of the plan.
“Restoring high standards is critically important, and I strongly support Reps. Wittke and Novak, and Sen. Jagler’s effort to restore Gov. Evers’ standards in our schools,” Kinser said. Lowering standards deprives our kids of the opportunity to be college- or career-ready, and that is unacceptable in Wisconsin. Our kids deserve more, not less, and I look forward to working with the legislature to pass this proposal.”
Jagler and Wittke are round-up co-sponsors for the plan. They have not said when they expect to bring their legislation up for a vote.
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