Yesterday, the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) released their report card for math and reading scores. Wisconsin scored a two-point drop in 4th grade math, a three-point drop in 4th grade reading, a five point drop in 8th grade reading, and an eight-point drop in 8th grade math from 2019. In every category, Wisconsin failed to achieve proficient status, and Wisconsin has the largest disparity in test scores between white and black students in the nation.
Rep. Allen released the following statement:
“The numbers are simply not good, but predictably, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction celebrated that Wisconsin was failing less badly than some other states rather than take ownership for the failures.
“It should not be a surprise to see poor test scores after Governor Evers (you know, the ‘education governor’ who spent years as the state’s top education advocate) locked students out of classrooms when the best data showed that students were a low-risk for Covid-19 infection. It’s also not a surprise to see that his failed Covid-19 policies hurt low-income and minority students the worst.
“Wisconsin public education is failing, and this happened under the watch of Tony Evers who served as both the Superintendent of Education and now Governor of this state. The students of Wisconsin deserve better, and to think things will improve with more of his leadership is foolish. Public leaders must be held accountable for the results of their policies. We need a change in leadership if we want to see students succeed.”
