Wisconsin has widest achievement gap on nation’s report card

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin has the widest achievement gap between black and white students of any state based on results of a test known as the nation’s report card.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released Wednesday show no significant change from statewide results a decade ago. However, declining scores for the lowest performing students resulted in Wisconsin having the widest achievement gap of any state.

Wisconsin superintendent of schools Carolyn Stanford Taylor says the achievement gap is a crisis and closing the gaps is “imperative for our state.”

The test was given to students in fourth and eighth grade last spring.

Wisconsin’s scores were higher than the national averages in both grades and in both subjects.

African American students in Wisconsin in both fourth and eighth grades underperformed students nationally.

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