New data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) confirms that students in private school choice programs are once again outperforming their public school counterparts. According to School Choice Wisconsin, the academic advantage of choice students has persisted for at least three years, even under DPI’s revised reporting standards.
Milwaukee and Racine Data Reveal Stronger Choice Program Outcomes
In Milwaukee and Racine, where fairer comparisons can be drawn between students with similar economic backgrounds, private choice students excelled in 32 of 36 grade-level comparisons on the state’s Forward Exam.
Nicholas Kelly, President of School Choice Wisconsin, emphasized the significance of these results, particularly given that choice students receive only 70% of the funding allocated to public school students. “Wisconsin choice students perform better despite being financed at 70% of the average public school cost,” Kelly said.
Criticism of DPI’s Comparisons and Reporting
School choice advocates argue that DPI’s public statements present an unfair comparison by measuring students from low-income urban areas like Milwaukee and Racine against a statewide sample composed primarily of middle- and upper-income students.
“This is classic false equivalency. Pure apples and oranges,” Kelly stated. “No reputable scholar would compare students from poor Milwaukee or Racine families with a statewide sample. Yet DPI uses this tactic every year to argue that school choice is ‘not working.’”
The October 8 press release from DPI cited public school proficiency rates at 48% for English Language Arts (ELA) and 49.4% for math. Meanwhile, choice students were reported at 30.9% proficiency in ELA and 28.3% in math. Kelly described these comparisons as deceptive.
Accurate Comparisons Demonstrate Choice Success
School Choice Wisconsin relies on DPI data to provide more accurate comparisons, matching students within the same geographic areas and socioeconomic brackets. Their analysis shows choice students outperform public school students in Milwaukee and Racine by significant margins.
The data shows, for example, that 25.4% of third-graders in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program are proficient in reading, compared to only 21.4% of Milwaukee Public School (MPS) students. Similarly, 36.7% of eighth-grade choice students are proficient in reading, compared to 27.1% of MPS students.
State Superintendent Jill Underly defended the new reporting methods, stating, “Standardized tests are just one measure of success… We need to work together to meet the real and diverse needs of our students and educators.”
Despite DPI’s defense, advocates like Kelly argue that the consistent performance of choice students underlines the importance of expanding educational opportunities. “The results explain why polling shows 77% of Wisconsinites agree that parents, not the state, should determine the type of education their children need,” Kelly said.
With these latest results, the debate over school choice is likely to intensify, as policymakers and educators weigh the impact of funding disparities and the success of alternative education models.
