The News: WILL submitted recommendations to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) today, urging an overhaul of the state’s school report card standards. WILL’s analysis highlights DPI’s track record of inflating ratings that masks a decades-long stagnation in student achievement.
These efforts come after years of DPI making unilateral changes to the accountability system, a trend that has made it more difficult to accurately compare academic progress over time. Our letter urges DPI to use this as an inflection point for change.
The Quotes: WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, stated, “Wisconsin is falling behind the rest of the country academically and changing standards only masks this decline. Instead of raising the bar, we are simply putting our heads in the sand. It’s why WILL is encouraging DPI to follow through on its commitment to Wisconsin students and adopt report card standards that give true insight into school performance.”
The Problem: WILL’s analysis exposes significant flaws in the current reporting system where schools and districts appear to perform above average:
- One school with only 4.1% ELA proficiency was rated “Exceeds Expectations.”
- 18 schools statewide received an “Exceeds Expectations” rating despite less than 25% ELA proficiency.
To verify these findings, WILL compared DPI’s ratings to GreatSchools, an independent school rating system widely used by parents when choosing a school. A review of 309 Wisconsin schools across the state’s six largest districts showed that 50% of schools were rated higher by DPI, while only 3% were rated higher by GreatSchools. We believe that this demonstrates DPI’s ratings are overly generous and fail to accurately reflect declining student achievement.
WILL’s Recommendations: To create an honest and rigorous reporting system, WILL recommends that DPI adopt a new approach that is both accurate and transparent.
- Adopt More Rigorous Cut Points: The new rating scale must align with actual student proficiency to eliminate grade inflation and provide an accurate picture of performance.
- Reform the Economic Status Sliding Scale: The current formula is too generous and overcompensates for poverty. While DPI is limited by law in this area, they can make other changes to the report card to compensate.
Families across Wisconsin deserve a report card that is clear, accurate, and consistent. The recent changes to the Forward Exam last year have cost DPI public trust when it comes to accountability. By working with WILL to best support students and families, DPI has an opportunity to restore that trust.
Read More:
- Letter to DPI, August 2025
