Wisconsin standardized test scores: Student performance revealed
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released on Thursday, Sept. 25, standardized assessment results from the 2024-25 school year. Officials said those results show a slight increase in student performance in both English language arts and mathematics.
Standardized test results
By the numbers:
According to data from the Wisconsin Student Assessment System — which includes the Forward Exam, Dynamic Learning Maps, the PreACT Secure and the ACT — 47.7% of students in all tested grades met or exceeded expectations in ELA, while 48.6% did so in mathematics on tests administered in spring 2025.
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Statewide data also shows performance gaps among different student subgroups continue to exist.
Milwaukee Public Schools data
What we know:
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) indicated the test results show "no universal change across all subject areas" in the district.
A news release from MPS says math scores increased slightly, but English, science and social studies performance did not change significantly.
English proficiency ranged from 19% at grades 9-10 to 29% at grades 7-8. Math proficiency ranged from 14% at grade 10 to 24% at grade 3. Wide gaps remain between Black and white students and between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities.
The MPS news release says the "results on 2024-25 state assessments demonstrate the clear need for the district’s new literacy plan and its emphasis on high-quality support and professional learning for educators." Officials say the plan is currently being implemented and includes 40 hours of dedicated training during the 2025-26 school year to help all teachers become experts in the science of reading.
The Forward Exam
The backstory:
State officials say the Forward Exam assesses students in grades three through eight in ELA and mathematics. Starting in 2024, the test started including a separate reading score within the ELA assessment.
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Statewide participation among public school students continues to improve, with 96% of eligible students participating in the WSAS. Participation among Choice students, however, declined by more than 3 percentage points, with 76.7% tested.
Full assessment data can be found on the DPI’s WISEdash Public Portal.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.