WKCE testing sets low standards

There is a story in today's Journal-Sentinel that may be shocking to some - our state proficiency testing, the WKCE, sets low standards for the children in Wisconsin public schools. This, however, is not "news" for some.

The report was based on research by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), an organization that works with about 2,700 school districts across the United States, including some in Wisconsin, on improving educational programs. The organization has its own testing program, the Measures of Academic Progress(MAP).

RUSD is one of those Wisconsin districts that uses NWEA-MAP testing three times a year to monitor student achievement, not simply relying on the annual WKCE results. I'm not suggesting that the district has thrown out the WKCE, that is impossible, but the district does rely on the almost immediate feedback of the NWEA-MAP to adjust and realign teaching in Racine - area classrooms.

RUSD is bucking the trend in Wisconsin by not using the WKCE as their sole monitoring tool as other districts across the state do. I am certainly NOT suggesting everything is rosy in the district, but it is somewhat good news that RUSD has recognized that the Wisconsin state standards are low and are trying to do something about it.