FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2025
IRG Action Fund Testimony Showcases Consequences of Lowered Test Score Standards
IRG exposed how, when, and why Superintendent Jill Underly lowered 2024 Forward Exam and ACT standards, IRG Action Fund provides critical testimony to the legislature
DELAFIELD, WI – IRG Action Fund, the advocacy partner to the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG), will submit testimony to the Assembly Committee on Education on Thursday to share critical information surrounding recent changes to Wisconsin’s test score standards. IRG’s 2024 report, Testing Our Patience, broke the news on how, when, and why Superintendent Jill Underly lowered 2024 Forward Exam and ACT standards.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) lowered standards on 2024 state tests, prompting bipartisan criticism. Superintendent Jill Underly’s lowering of test scores make it more difficult to compare student success over time and compare to other states. Recent federal scores in Wisconsin show large discrepancies between proficiency when comparing state and federal standards. Just 31% of Wisconsin Students proficient in reading under federal standards versus 52% claimed by Superintendent Jill Underly’s lowered standards.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- DPI’s public justification for changing standards does not match what they said behind closed doors: DPI emails in IRG’s Testing Our Patience report revealed Superintendent Underly wanted to change standards as early as January 2023, and she repeatedly mentioned her desire to lower them in the months afterward.
- DPI’s new Forward and ACT proficiency rates are not useful to parents: 2023 standards matched NAEP’s clear, rigorous standards: Basic was akin to “grade level,” and Proficient was akin to “college-ready.” New, lower DPI standards have no category that mean “grade level” or “college-ready,” confusing parents.
- DPI’s changes hurt the consistency of state report cards: Due to their inflation of student proficiency, DPI will be forced to change report cards in 2025, marking the third change in five years. Schools and parents deserve consistent standards.
QUOTE: “After getting back Wisconsin’s true test scores, we now know how misleading Superintendent Underly’s lowered standards are. IRG Action Fund will continue providing critical information to the Legislature as it considers how to hold high standards for Wisconsin’s schools and students.” – IRG Action Fund Executive Vice President Chris Reader.
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IRG Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) advocacy partner to the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG).