In state education news, Republican
lawmakers want to change the way
the Department of Public Instruction
now scores standardized tests
for third through eighth graders.
That's because last year DPI
changed the cutoff scores needed
to be proficient in reading or math,
resulting in scores in 2024
being about ten points higher than
the year before.
The new forward exam scoring also
no longer aligns with the more
difficult national test known
as the nation's report card.
A bill now before the legislature
would require DPI to
revert back to the previous scoring
model. Chair of the Senate
Education Committee, Republican
Senator John Trigger, authored the
bill. And thanks very much for being
here.
Thank you for having me.
So why don't you like the new
scoring methods on the statewide
forward exam?
For multiple.
Reasons. I think it gives a false
sense of what.
Our kids are doing and where they're
at.
But, you know.
The bigger picture point here
is.
It doesn't align.
We have.
No way of tracking data from
previous years.
Because and I admits
this, that the way that they have
blown up the scoring
system, we can't go back and look,
we can't see how the kids from the
Covid pandemic, those those
kids that were, you know,
kindergarten, first grade.
Are they catching up, the kids.
More importantly, that are almost
entering the workplace?
The seventh graders who are now.
High.
School juniors and seniors, where
are they? Have they caught up from
that that last year?
And we can't track that data
anymore.
And, you know.
As I traveled around the new
district, the new 13th Senate
district picked.
Up a ton of.
Geographical territory.
And that meant.
A lot of new superintendents, a lot
of new school districts.
And the first thing I did was meet
with law enforcement.
And meet with my school.
Superintendents.
And.
They were taken.
Aback because they were not
consulted. They had no idea this
came.
And here we are.
They don't know if some of the
innovation.
They're doing with literacy programs
are working and they have no way of
going back and tracking.
And then the easiest point is
we should be expecting our kids to
do better. We should set high
standards.
Not lower them.
So Governor Tony Evers has also
been critical of the new scoring,
saying just that, that we should
have the highest standards possible.
But why should legislators decide
on learning assessments over
educators?
And should new directives
come with more funding, like the
$50 million for phonics
instruction?
I don't think you can conflate
the two issues of saying it should
come with more funding.
I mean, why should we get
involved? Well, honestly, I wish we
wouldn't have to.
This was done in a closed
situation where these.
There was a list of just under a 100
administrators or school officials
or people that.
They talked to.
For this process.
But they they did this in
a vacuum and it came out and it came
out. You know, let's be honest.
Politics is part of everything.
Came out in a.
Very weird.
Time to roll back these standards,
to make our.
Kids look better, which in effect.
It did in in.
An election year for the
superintendent.
That's a little odd.
But what.
Perked my ear was my
superintendent.
Saying.
We don't agree with this.
We had we weren't part
of this.
We don't know where this came from.
And then when you had.
The governor first saying.
Flat out, you know.
Because those were his standards and
he.
Said she she didn't.
They rolled back the Department of
Public Instruction, rolled back the
governor's standards.
The education governor.
So he caught my.
Interest when he.
Said we.
Shouldn't be lowering, we.
Should be expecting.
High standards.
And then he kind of pivoted
a little bit to criticizing.
The process.
That it was done behind closed.
Doors without any input from
stakeholders.
And he was right on both counts.
Apart from the scoring, why does
the bill also call to revert back
to how the scores are described?
For example, instead of below basic
as previously to developing.
Just to go back for consistency.
And one of the things.
That I had heard in an interview.
Was, well, you know, if you tell
a.
Parent that.
Their kid is below basic, that's
that's.
Harmful. That's that's hurtful.
Language.
That's I'm sorry.
That's just weak source To me,
That's, that's that's soft.
As I said in the in the committee
hearing, you know what?
You know.
What hurts a kid's.
Social mental health.
And hurts a kid.
In the classes when he can't read.
And we should be focusing.
On that rather than what these
labels.
Say. And like I said, it goes back.
That the reason.
Why we went back is we it's almost.
Like just a reset point.
And unfortunately, we're going to
lose this year's data.
But I think.
It's worth it to go back and create
some.
Consistency and also.
Create it so we can compare
ourselves.
With Nape, the national
standards and.
See how we're doing.
How do we possibly know when
you're talking about investing
billions.
Of dollars in.
Education, what.
Is the return going our kids doing?
How are.
These educators using those
dollars that we commit
to.
Make sure our kids can read?
And the.
The troubling part about.
It is this whole issue about.
Rolling back the standards came when
the Nabe scores came out.
This week, and it should be a
shock for everybody.
The numbers in Milwaukee are, you
know, we're talking the.
Worst scoring for
fourth graders in.
The nation. For black kids in
Milwaukee, the achievement gap is.
Still the lowest in the country.
But the eighth grade, eighth grade.
Kids are also.
Just just floundering and
and shouldn't be acceptable to
anybody. And you cannot you know,
the old line I was I was.
Joking at Super Bowl week.
You cannot can achieve perfection
if you.
Don't strive for.
Excellence. You know.
If you strive for and strive for
perfection, you reach excellence.
That's what Vince Lombardi always
said.
And I think.
It's right on this call.
We should be expecting more.
On that racial achievement gap.
51% of Wisconsin white students
overall tested proficient in math,
5% of black
students. What responsibility, then,
does the state have to
narrow that gap?
Well, we need to look at
all in all sources.
You know, where this is coming from,
where the breakdown is.
And in it is poverty.
A lot.
Of these numbers are driven.
Down, quite honestly, by what's
what's happening with maps
and the maps scores out of
Milwaukee.
And you talk about a.
School district in total disarray,
in accounting disarray.
A health situation, system.
Disarray with it with the lead
poisoning. News from this week,
disarray from bringing in
staff. The controller.
Is gone.
After three weeks disarray
in.
In just.
About every aspect.
That you can you.
Can come from or.
You can talk about it and it
it doesn't.
Surprise it shouldn't surprise.
Anybody that.
It's a disarray and failure of our
kids.
We need to leave it there.
Senator John Straggler, thanks very
much.
Appreciate it.
Thanks. Yeah, this is
very interesting.
Yeah.
Thanks.
We'll be following, of course.
Okay. Yep.
Appreciate.
Any time. Any time.
Like I said, next time I'll be.
I'll be prompt. I apologize.
I know how it is to be on the
bottom of the.
Phone or of the microphone.
I'm sorry. No worries.
We're not live.
We're good. Thank you.
Have a good weekend.
You too.