This post originally appeared at https://reforminggovernment.org/state-report-cards/

On November 14th, the Department Of Public Instruction released state report cards for the 2022-2023 school year. These federally required report cards rate every district and publicly funded school on a 5-star scale. The report cards judge test scores, graduation rates, attendance, and other factors. They also adjust for student needs; schools serving more students in poverty or with special needs get more credit for their academic growth.

In short, if you want to compare districts or schools on a level playing field, this is the easiest way to do it!

What did we find? While fairly applied, the report cards are easy graders. Your child is more likely to go to a 5-star school in some regions than in others. Choice schools are thriving statewide, but especially in Milwaukee. Reach out to Quinton Klabon at [email protected] if you want additional insight into your community.

Now, here are IRG’s Top 4 Takeaways from the 2023 state report cards.

THE REPORT CARDS ARE TOO LENIENT.

Overall, 420 districts and 2,110 schools were rated.

6% of districts were 5 stars. 11% of schools were 5 stars.

94% of districts were 3 stars or above. 82% of schools were 3 stars or above. 

0% of districts, not 1, were 1 star. Only 4% of schools were 1 star.

We know that Wisconsin performs average nationally on standardized tests. We know that Milwaukee has the lowest performance for Black students nationally among big districts. We know that school attendance fell since the pandemic. Yet, very few districts or schools “fail to meet expectations.”

DPI has set those expectations too low.

NOT EVERY REGION OF WISCONSIN HAS TOP-NOTCH SCHOOLS.

The 10 highest-performing districts follow below.

Whitefish Bay

Fox Point-Bayside

Swallow

Cedarburg

Hartland-Lakeside

Merton

Dover

Lake Country

Geneva

Richmond

The 10 highest-performing schools follow below.

Oshkosh: Accelerated Advanced Learning

Kimberly: Woodland Intermediate

Wauwatosa: Lincoln Elementary

Appleton: Odyssey-Magellan

Fox Point-Bayside: Stormonth Elementary

Whitefish Bay: Whitefish Bay High

Madison: Shorewood Hills Elementary

Green Bay: Da Vinci For Gifted Learners

Oconomowoc: Park Lawn Elementary

Whitefish Bay: Richards Elementary

As you can see, the highest-performing schools are not evenly distributed. The percentage of students in a school rated 5 stars are as follows.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1: 4%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2: 9%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 3: 3%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 4: 10%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 5: 28%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6: 16%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7: 5%

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8: 7%

CHOICE SCHOOLS HELP STUDENTS GROW.

While reading reforms and high-quality teachers matter, school choice is critical to getting more children an excellent education.

Only 9% of rated schools are charter or voucher, and 8% of the top 100 schools are choice.

Critics of school choice often say that choice schools kick out struggling students and keep high-achievers who would succeed in any school. “Their students aren’t learning. They just hoarded the best students.” However, the report cards specifically track student growth as a separate rating. Citizens can focus only on which schools did the most for their students, wherever those children started.

Despite only 9% of rated schools being charter or voucher, 13% of the 100 highest-growth schools are choice. These include schools like Guidance Islamic in South Milwaukee, Renaissance Lutheran in Racine, and Saint Roman Catholic in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE NEEDS THE CHOICE PROGRAM.

Believe it or not, some people are trying to close excellent choice schools.

This would be a disaster for cities like Beloit and Wausau, but it would be apocalyptic in Milwaukee. 17 of the top 20 Milwaukee schools are charter or voucher.

We cannot let bumbling activists throw students out of high-flying schools and into schools that don’t work for them!

THESE RESULTS FAIL KIDS.

While every child may not be in a 5-star school, every child deserves one.

Because of you, IRG can work hard on reading reform oversight, the creation of teacher apprenticeships, support of school choice, tracking federal school COVID relief, and community engagement in the lowest-rated cities.

Thank you for caring about our kids. These reforms will put our schools back on top and make Wisconsin the place families and businesses want to be.