Group: Latest Wisconsin school scores show school choice success

(The Center Square) – A school choice group in Wisconsin say the latest standardized test scores, even with the recent changes, show the choice is good for students.

Nicholas Kelly, president of School Choice Wisconsin, said the new scores show choice schools out-scored public schools, particularly Milwaukee Public Schools, in almost every grade, although just a quarter of choice third-graders and a third of choice eighth-graders are proficient in reading.

"Wisconsin choice students perform better despite being financed at 70% of the average public school cost," Kelly said.

School Choice Wisconsin’s numbers show students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program consistently out-score Milwaukee Public School students in both reading in math in grades three through eight.

School Choice Wisconsin says 25.4% of third-graders in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program are proficient in reading, compared to 21.4% of MPS students. The scores are similar in eighth grade, where School Choice Wisconsin says 36.7% of students are proficient in reading, compared to 27.1% of MPS students.

Choice students in Racine Parental Choice Program also out-score public school students in Racine, according to School Choice Wisconsin's numbers.

However, across the state choice third-graders are behind traditional public school students in reading. Third-graders, fourth-graders, and fifth-graders also trail traditional public school students in math as well.

Despite that, Kelly said the new scores are the strangest proof yet as to why more students need to be able to choose which school they go to.

"The results explain why polling shows 77% of Wisconsinites agree that parents, not the state, are responsible for determining the type of education their children need," Kelly said.

State Superintendent Jill Undelry said the scores were changed to better reflect what Wisconsin students are really learning.

“Our kids have such unique and growing needs, and these assessment results provide data to help educators target resources and support to improve outcomes,” Underly said. “At the same time, standardized tests are just one measure of student success and only tell us where a student performs on one given day. There are so many other inputs and factors that affect students’ academic performance. As a state, we need to work together to meet these very real and diverse needs and support our students, our educators, and our schools.”

Kelly said choice students in Wisconsin have been getting better test scores than traditional public-school students for years, and did so again this year.

“This performance advantage was true under prior DPI reporting standards and remains so under its new regimen,” Kelly added.