By Kim McDarison

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has released ACT, ACT Aspire and Forward Exam scores earned by students during the 2021-22 school year in districts from across the state.

The scores, which were released Sept. 29, offer data from the three exams which together comprise the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS). 

According to the release, overall results from the standardized tests show strong signs of recovery and progress among tested Wisconsin students, as they continue to work through learning disruptions and challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to student achievement, participation in the WSAS also increased closer to pre-pandemic levels.

The WSAS consists of the Forward Exam given in Grades 3-8 and 10, the ACT Aspire given in Grades 9 and 10, the ACT with writing in Grade 11, and Dynamic Learning Maps given across all tested grades to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the release stated.

The WSAS is administered each spring and is a snapshot in time intended to show how Wisconsin students are progressing toward grade-level expectations. The WSAS results are one measure to help teachers and schools understand where students are academically at a given time and help them determine where additional support may be needed. Results from the WSAS are a foundational component of the state-legislated school and district report cards that will be issued in November. The DPI urges caution when making cross-year comparisons in statewide assessment results between 2019, 2021, and 2022 due to differences in tested populations, the release noted.

Takeaways, the release continued, from the 2021-22 WSAS results include, but are not limited to:

• Among public school and Private School Choice Program students tested in grades 3-11, 35.5% were proficient in English language arts (ELA).

• 92.9% of eligible students participated in ELA, an increase of about 9% from 2020-21 levels, and approaching pre-pandemic levels of 96.3% in 2018-19.

• Among the public school and Private School Choice Program students tested in Grades 3-11, 35.2% were considered proficient in mathematics.

• 93.9% of eligible students participated in mathematics, an increase of 9.1% from 2020-21, and approaching pre-pandemic levels of 97.1% in 2018-19.

• Student achievement increased in most grade levels from 2020-21, but is not at the same level of achievement from 2018-19.

State and district averages

ACT (all students statewide in grade 11) 

According to the information made available on the DPI website, the statewide composite average score for students taking the ACT in grade 11 in 2021-22 is 19.2. 

The highest score a student can achieve on the test is 36. 

In 2021-22, the average scores earned by 11th-grade students taking the ACT exam, served by school districts within the broader Fort Atkinson Online readership area, are as follows: 

Fort Atkinson: 19.3

Lake Mills: 19.2

Elkhorn: 19.1

Milton: 18.9

Palmyra-Eagle: 18.5

Watertown: 18.3

Jefferson: 18.2 

Janesville: 18.2

Whitewater: 17.6

Delavan-Darien: 17

ACT Aspire (grades 9 and 10, English language arts) 

The ACT Aspire test is administered to students in grades 9 and 10. Data presented on the DPI website offer a “scale score” in the areas of English language arts, math, reading, science and writing. 

The average ACT Aspire score earned by all students statewide taking the exam in the area of English language arts in 2021-22 among ninth-graders was 425.2 and 10th-graders, 426.8. 

The highest score a student can earn is 460. 

In 2021-22, the average scores earned by students taking the ACT Aspire exam administered to all students within grades 9 and 10 within the broader Fort Atkinson Online readership area in the category of English language arts are as follows: 

Fort Atkinson: Grade 9, 426.3; Grade 10, 427.5

Lake Mills: Grade 9, 425.9; Grade 10, 428.3

Elkhorn: Grade 9, 425.5; Grade 10, 427.6

Milton: Grade 9, 426.0; Grade 10, 428.4

Palmyra-Eagle: Grade 9, 425.5; Grade 10, 426.5

Watertown: Grade 9, 425.7; Grade 10, 425.2

Jefferson: Grade 9, 426.5; Grade 10, 426.2 

Janesville: Grade 9, 424.5; Grade 10, 425.7

Whitewater: Grade 9, 425.1; Grade 10, 425.3

Delavan: Grade 9, 424.4; Grade 10, 425.1

ACT Aspire (grades 9 and 10, mathematics) 

The average ACT Aspire score earned by all students statewide taking the exam in the area of mathematics in 2021-22 among ninth-graders was 425.1 and among 10th-graders, 427.2.

In 2021-22, the average scores earned by students taking the ACT Aspire exam administered to all students within grades 9 and 10 within the broader Fort Atkinson Online readership area in the category of math are as follows: 

Fort Atkinson: Grade 9, 427.1; Grade 10, 429.5

Lake Mills: Grade 9, 426.9; Grade 10, 430.5

Elkhorn: Grade 9, 427.4; Grade 10, 429.6

Milton: Grade 9, 425.9; Grade 10, 428.6

Palmyra-Eagle: Grade 9, 425.0; Grade 10, 427.9

Watertown: Grade 9, 425.6; Grade 10, 426.2

Jefferson: Grade 9, 424.5; Grade 10, 425.5 

Janesville: Grade 9, 423.0; Grade 10, 424.6

Whitewater: Grade 9, 426.3; Grade 10, 426.1

Delavan: Grade 9, 424.0; Grade 10, 425.3

Forward Exam

The Forward Exam is administered to students statewide in grades 3-8 in the subjects of English language arts and math; grades 4 in science, and grades 4, 8 and 10 in social studies. Results are calculated using a “scale score.” 

State averages

In 2021-22, average statewide Forward Exam scores are as follows: 

• English language arts, grade 3, 551; grade 4, 579; grade 5, 595; grade 6, 603; grade 7, 619, and grade 8, 623. 

• Math, grade 3, 554; grade 4, 575; grade 5, 601; grade 6, 606; grade 7, 618, and grade 8, 636. 

• Science, grade 4, 497. 

•Social studies, grade 4, 501; grade 8, 700, and grade 10, 799. 

In 2021-22, according to the DPI website, the Forward Exam average scale scores indicate, when looking at students statewide, including all grades levels, in the subject of English language arts, that 37.0% of the state’s students taking the exam are performing at the combined “advanced and proficient” level, while 59.7% are performing at the “basic and below basic” level. 

In the subject of mathematics, statewide, 39.2% of the students are performing at the combined advanced and proficient level and 57.6% are performing at the combined basic and below basic level. 

In science, 48.8% of students taking the exam are performing at the advanced and proficient level while 47.5% are performing at the basic and below basic level. 

In social studies, 52.2% are performing at the advanced and proficient level and 41.8% are performing at the basic and below basic level. 

Fort Atkinson 

In Fort Atkinson, students in grades 3-8 taking the Forward Exam on average earned the following scores in the subject of English language arts: grade 3, 559; grade 4, 590; grade 5, 601; grade 6, 618; grade 7, 630, and grade 8, 635. 

The scores indicate that in the subject of English language arts, 42.2% of students taking the exam are performing at a combined level of advanced or proficient, while 55.8% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

In the subject of mathematics, Fort Atkinson students, on average, earned the following scores: grade 3, 554; grade 4, 581; grade 5, 606; grade 6, 619; grade 7, 626, and grade 8, 649. 

The scores indicate that in the subject of mathematics, 42.9% of students taking the exam are performing at a level of advanced or proficient, while 55.5% are performing at a level of basic or below basic. 

In science, students, on average, earned the following score: grade 4, 498. The score indicates that 49.5% of fourth-grade students are performing at a level of advanced or proficient, while 48.0% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

In social students, averages were as follows: grade 4, 507; grade 8, 702, and grade 10, 812. The scores indicate that 56.8% of students are performing at an advanced or proficient level while 39.3% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

Whitewater

In Whitewater, students in grades 3-8 taking the Forward Exam on average earned the following scores in the subject of English language arts: grade 3, 554; grade 4, 584; grade 5, 590; grade 6, 593; grade 7, 614, and grade 8, 615. 

The scores indicate that 30.8% of students are advanced or proficient in English language arts, while 66.2% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

In mathematics, on average, Whitewater students earned the following scores: grade 3, 544; grade 4, 564; grade 5, 591; grade 6, 595; grade 7, 616, and grade 8, 618. 

The scores show that 29.0% of math students are performing at an advanced or proficient level while 70.4% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

In science, students, on average, earned the following score: grade 4, 504. The score indicates the 53.7% of fourth-graders are performing at an advanced or proficient level while 45.5% are performing at a level of basic or below.

In social studies, students, on average earned the following scores: grade 4, 510; grade 8, 703, and grade 10, 779. The scores indicate that 51.9% of students are performing at an advanced or proficient level while 45.3% are performing at a level of basic or below. 

Information about public school performance is made available by school and by district on the WISEdash Public Portal. 

Student performance data for Wisconsin’s three parental choice programs are posted via the Parental Choice Program data page. 

For more information about student assessment in Wisconsin, visit: https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment.