Today, results from NAEP—often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card—were released, providing a stark, data-driven look at student performance across the country. The scores serve as the most reliable measure of academic proficiency, particularly in light of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) efforts under Superintendent Jill Underly to weaken state standards. While the overall state numbers are concerning, Milwaukee’s results are catastrophic, according to City Forward Collective– a pro education reform group based in Milwaukee. 

Stagnant Statewide Performance and Declining Trends

Wisconsin has made no significant progress in reading or math at the 4th and 8th-grade levels since 2022. Even worse, reading scores show a consistent decline over the past two decades. While some other states have managed to stabilize or even improve post-pandemic, Wisconsin has failed to regain lost ground.

Wisconsin’s Racial Achievement Gap Remains the Worst in the Nation

For yet another year, Wisconsin holds the dishonorable distinction of having the widest Black-White achievement gap in the country. In every tested subject and grade level, Black students in Wisconsin perform significantly worse than their White peers. The gap has only widened over the last two years.

The problem extends to Hispanic students as well, with Wisconsin ranking among the ten worst states for math disparities in both 4th and 8th grades. These statistics are more than just
numbers—they represent generations of students left behind due to a failing system.

Milwaukee Public Schools: Nationally Trailing, Again

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) continue to rank among the worst-performing large urban districts in the nation, alongside Detroit and Cleveland. The NAEP proficiency rates tell a devastating story:

• 4th Grade Reading: 9% proficient (compared to 26% in other large cities)
• 8th Grade Reading: 15% proficient (compared to 26% in other large cities)
• 4th Grade Math: 12% proficient (compared to 33% in other large cities)
• 8th Grade Math: 8% proficient (compared to 23% in other large cities)

Particularly alarming are the results for 4th-grade reading—students who were in kindergarten and first grade during the 2020-21 school closures. These early literacy numbers point to a long-term crisis that will have lifelong consequences for students who are already struggling to catch up.

Jill Underly and DPI’s Misleading Standards Exposed

The DPI’s recent move to lower proficiency benchmarks has created what City Forward Collective calls an “honesty gap” between NAEP’s rigorous standards and Wisconsin’s artificially inflated numbers. Consider the difference:

• 4th Grade Reading: 31% proficient on NAEP vs. 52% meeting DPI’s new standard
• 4th Grade Math: 42% proficient on NAEP vs. 54% meeting DPI’s new standard
• 8th Grade Reading: 31% proficient on NAEP vs. 48% meeting DPI’s new standard
• 8th Grade Math: 37% proficient on NAEP vs. 51% meeting DPI’s new standard

Instead of raising expectations, Wisconsin’s education leadership has chosen to mask the problem by lowering the bar.