Study Says Wisconsin’s School Report Card System Is Hard for the Public to Understand

by Daniel Li, age 17

Wisconsin’s school report card system is difficult for the public to understand. A recent study conducted by Arizona State University was highlighted in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and revealed that parents and the general public often struggle to access clear information about how students and schools are performing. Without this information, it's hard for parents to properly judge how well their child has performed in school.

Wisconsin earned a “D grade” in the study, which evaluated each state's K-12 report card system based on how easily performance data could be accessed and understood. Researchers also examined whether multiple years of data were available to track post-pandemic progress. The report criticized the complexity of Wisconsin’s system, raising concerns about its usability. The report criticized, "If the federal government is going to require states to provide report cards, and if states are going to spend money to create them, shouldn't they at least be usable?". The study also questioned the purpose of these report cards if parents and advocates cannot easily use them to answer basic questions about school effectiveness.

For Wisconsin, researchers were able to locate data on test scores in English, math, science, and high school graduation rates. However, they struggled to find information on chronic absenteeism, social studies test scores, and growth in English language arts and math. Overall, the state earned 11 out of 21 possible points in the evaluation.

In response to the study, Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) dismissed the findings, calling the review "narrow" and defending the accessibility of the data. DPI spokesperson Chris Bucher argued that the report relied too heavily on internet searches and subjective interpretations. He added that Wisconsin has long been a leader in making school data publicly available.

In comparison, Michigan earned the highest grade in the Midwest, receiving an “A grade”, with states like Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania also receiving top marks. Illinois and Minnesota earned “B grades”, while Iowa tied with Wisconsin’s “D grade”.

Researchers initially gave Wisconsin an” F grade” based on a report card system that appears at the top of an online search. After contacting the DPI, they learned about a more comprehensive system known as WISEDash. However, this system is not easily accessible from the state’s main website. The difficulty in finding WISEDash raised concerns about how useful the system is if the public cannot easily locate or navigate it. Researchers found similar problems in other states, such as Texas, which uses three different report cards to meet various state and federal reporting requirements. This study underscores the importance of making school performance data accessible and easy to understand so that parents and advocates can make informed decisions about education.

[Sources: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel; Wisconsin DPI]