Wisconsin student test scores steady for 3rd year

MADISON — Student test results in Wisconsin held steady last year, with some gains in mathematics but little progress in narrowing the achievement gap.

The state Department of Public Instruction released the results Tuesday.

The results show that the average ACT score for 11th graders was 19.7. That is down from 20 the previous year.

Students in grades three through eight who take the Forward Exam are showing steady progress in math, with 41.1 percent proficient or advanced. That's up from 40.3 percent two years ago.

In English language arts, 40.6 percent were proficient or advanced and 42.5 percent in science had the highest rankings. The science score dipped slightly, while the English score was down 2.1 percentage points.

The results include both public school students and those using vouchers to attend private school.