Wisconsin ranked eighth nationally for overall child well-being, but racial disparities in the state persist, according to a new Annie E. Casey Foundation report for 2024.
The charitable foundation’s report evaluates child well-being in states since 2019 based on several economic, education, health and family and community-related factors, such as the number of children in poverty, proficiency in math and reading for certain grade levels, child and teen deaths, and more.
According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and National Assessment of Educational Progress data in the KIDS COUNT report, 69% of fourth graders in Wisconsin weren’t proficient in reading in 2024 compared to 64% in 2019.
Black students had the highest percentage of non-proficient fourth-grade readers among racial groups at 92% in 2024, while non-Hispanic white students had the lowest non-proficient percentage at 62%.
Meanwhile, 63% of eighth graders weren’t proficient in math in 2024 compared to 59% in 2019. Black students had the highest percentage of non-proficiency, 93%, followed by American Indian or Alaskan Native students at 92%. The lowest non-proficiency percentage was 55% for non-Hispanic white students.
Antiracist policy center Kids Forward said while the state may rank near the top nationally for child well-being, Wisconsin continues to have some of the worst racial disparities in the country.
“Wisconsin is like a broken record with its legacy of failing Black children. Our state has been recognized for years as one of ‘The worst places for Black families to live’ – when is Wisconsin going to make the necessary investments to write a new headline?” Deputy Director Alia Stevenson said in a statement.
Department of Public Instruction spokesperson Chris Bucher said the state’s sixth-in-the-nation ranking in the education category reflects the hard work of students, families and schools, while noting the state has some of the largest opportunity gaps in the nation.
He said part of the work toward closing those gaps includes implementing the state’s new literacy law, developing statewide literacy and math plans and State Superintendent Jill Underly’s new Portrait of a Graduate initiative.
“While there is still work ahead, Wisconsin students continue to perform above the national average on many key measures, including (eighth) grade math achievement on the NAEP and record-high graduation rates,” Bucher said. “We remain committed to building on these strengths while ensuring every student has access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to thrive.”
Other data in the report include:
- The percentage of children in poverty went down to 12% in 2024 compared to 14% in 2019. Black children had the highest poverty rate at 38%, more than double the second-highest rate, 18% for Hispanic or Latino children. Non-Hispanic white children had the lowest poverty rate at 7%.
- The percentage of children without health insurance stayed stable at 4% in 2024. The rate was highest for American Indian or Alaska Native children at 8%.
- The percentage of children living in high-poverty areas went down from 7% to 5%. Black children were most likely to live in high-poverty areas, with 28% living in high-poverty neighborhoods where poverty rates for the total population are 30% or more. Non-Hispanic white children had the lowest percentage at just 1%.
- Nine percent of high school students graduated on time in 2023-24, down from 10% in 2018-19. Twenty-eight percent of Black students didn’t graduate on time in 2023-24, the highest percentage among racial groups, compared to 5% of non-Hispanic white students, the lowest.
