Wisconsin
U.S.
Rank
Score:
75%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#18
Law passed: 1993
Most recently amended: 2015
Number of charter schools: 235
Number of charter students: 49,678
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No, except for two of the universities.
Virtual charters allowed? Yes, if authorized by Districts.
AUTHORIZERS: School districts plus the common council of the city of Milwaukee, The chancellor of any institution in the University of Wisconsin System, Each technical college district board, Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, UW- System Office of Educational Opportunity
GROWTH: Growth has been modest, with 26 new schools opened over prior 2 years serving an additional 3,000 students. Milwaukee Public Schools, unable to manage additional workload, instituted its own moratorium on approving charters. Also the current administration is not supportive; a 2019 proposal by Gov. Evers to establish a moratorium on new independent charters was defeated.
OPERATIONS: Schools have a blanket waiver from most rules and regulations that apply to traditional district schools, but many charters are authorized by districts and micromanaged. Virtuals are only permitted if authorized by local districts.
EQUITY: Specified in statute, districts are required to pay charters similar to their funding and all other authorizers are provided for in law. In 2018-19 that latter amount was $8619, but the amount is indexed each year so as not to exceed the payment amount of the prior year, plus any revenue increase adjustments in the current school year. There is no facilities funding provided in the law for any charters.
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#5
The first in the modern era to enact a private school choice program, the Badger state today is home to five programs serving approximately 81,000 students increasing steadily since 2018.
Law enacted: 1990 and 2015
Number of programs: 5
Statewide Participation: 80,502
Types of programs: Voucher (4), Individual Tax Credit/ Deduction (1)
Voucher
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program was enacted and launched in 1990 and is considered the nation’s first modern private school choice program. It offers private school vouchers to Milwaukee students from households with income at or below 300 percent of the federal free and reduced lunch limits. In 2019–20, the maximum voucher amounts are $8,046 for grades K–8 and $8,692 for grades 9–12.
Voucher
Racine Parental Private School Choice Program
Wisconsin enacted and launched the Parental Private School Choice Program in Racine in 2011. The program offers private school vouchers to Racine families who meet certain income restrictions.
Voucher
Parental Choice Program (Statewide)
Wisconsin’s statewide Parental Choice Program, a private school voucher program, was enacted and launched in 2013. The program offers school vouchers to students not in the Milwaukee or Racine school districts. Household income cannot exceed 220 percent of the federal poverty level.
Voucher
Special Needs Scholarship Program
Wisconsin’s Special Needs Scholarship Program, enacted in 2015, is the state’s fourth school voucher program. The special needs voucher program has small numbers, but a quadruple increase from 2018 – 252 participants to 1,058. The maximum amount per student in 2019-20 is $12,723.
Individual Tax Credit/Deduction
K–12 Private School Tuition Deduction
Wisconsin enacted this individual tax deduction in 2013. All taxpaying families in the state are eligible regardless of income and can apply for this individual tax deduction up to $4,000 per child in grades K–8 and up to $10,000 per child in grades 9–12 after paying for K–12 private school tuition.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#45
Does not require student growth to be considered in teacher evaluation ratings; teacher preparation programs lack rigor by not requiring content knowledge subject tests.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 63%
General Teacher Preparation 65%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 73%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 60%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 61%
Hiring 60%
Retaining Effective Teachers 61%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 68%
Teacher and Principal Evaluation
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 68%
Score:
75%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#18
Law passed: 1993
Most recently amended: 2015
Number of charter schools: 235
Number of charter students: 49,678
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No, except for two of the universities.
Virtual charters allowed? Yes, if authorized by Districts.
AUTHORIZERS: School districts plus the common council of the city of Milwaukee, The chancellor of any institution in the University of Wisconsin System, Each technical college district board, Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, UW- System Office of Educational Opportunity
GROWTH: Growth has been modest, with 26 new schools opened over prior 2 years serving an additional 3,000 students. Milwaukee Public Schools, unable to manage additional workload, instituted its own moratorium on approving charters. Also the current administration is not supportive; a 2019 proposal by Gov. Evers to establish a moratorium on new independent charters was defeated.
OPERATIONS: Schools have a blanket waiver from most rules and regulations that apply to traditional district schools, but many charters are authorized by districts and micromanaged. Virtuals are only permitted if authorized by local districts.
EQUITY: Specified in statute, districts are required to pay charters similar to their funding and all other authorizers are provided for in law. In 2018-19 that latter amount was $8619, but the amount is indexed each year so as not to exceed the payment amount of the prior year, plus any revenue increase adjustments in the current school year. There is no facilities funding provided in the law for any charters.
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#5
The first in the modern era to enact a private school choice program, the Badger state today is home to five programs serving approximately 81,000 students increasing steadily since 2018.
Law enacted: 1990 and 2015
Number of programs: 5
Statewide Participation: 80,502
Types of programs: Voucher (4), Individual Tax Credit/ Deduction (1)
Voucher
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program was enacted and launched in 1990 and is considered the nation’s first modern private school choice program. It offers private school vouchers to Milwaukee students from households with income at or below 300 percent of the federal free and reduced lunch limits. In 2019–20, the maximum voucher amounts are $8,046 for grades K–8 and $8,692 for grades 9–12.
Voucher
Racine Parental Private School Choice Program
Wisconsin enacted and launched the Parental Private School Choice Program in Racine in 2011. The program offers private school vouchers to Racine families who meet certain income restrictions.
Voucher
Parental Choice Program (Statewide)
Wisconsin’s statewide Parental Choice Program, a private school voucher program, was enacted and launched in 2013. The program offers school vouchers to students not in the Milwaukee or Racine school districts. Household income cannot exceed 220 percent of the federal poverty level.
Voucher
Special Needs Scholarship Program
Wisconsin’s Special Needs Scholarship Program, enacted in 2015, is the state’s fourth school voucher program. The special needs voucher program has small numbers, but a quadruple increase from 2018 – 252 participants to 1,058. The maximum amount per student in 2019-20 is $12,723.
Individual Tax Credit/Deduction
K–12 Private School Tuition Deduction
Wisconsin enacted this individual tax deduction in 2013. All taxpaying families in the state are eligible regardless of income and can apply for this individual tax deduction up to $4,000 per child in grades K–8 and up to $10,000 per child in grades 9–12 after paying for K–12 private school tuition.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#45
Does not require student growth to be considered in teacher evaluation ratings; teacher preparation programs lack rigor by not requiring content knowledge subject tests.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 63%
General Teacher Preparation 65%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 73%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 60%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 61%
Hiring 60%
Retaining Effective Teachers 61%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 68%
Teacher and Principal Evaluation
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 68%
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#41
The Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan incorporates the Future Ready Framework to outline a roadmap for adopting new technologies and instructional practices for teaching and learning in 21st century classrooms. Wisconsin has 41 virtual charter schools operating in the state, and a lot of school districts in the state have virtual and online programs available as a part of their course offerings. The state provides free statewide software tools for schools to incorporate into their classrooms, such as ESRI Geographic Software, Google Suite for Education, Microsoft Enrollment for Education Solution, SketchUp, and Autodesk.
The state also has Virtual Learning Time, where schools can incorporate virtual learning on days when school is cancelled. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 16.3%, or 66 school districts, had implemented Virtual Learning Time.
The state places significant value on teaching students technology literacy with the Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy for students. WDIP emphasises “the focus is on learning with information and technology rather than learning about information and technology.” These standards can be integrated into the core curriculum in a variety of ways, and districts have the flexibility to decide how standards are met. Currently, 80% of districts in the state are using the Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy to guide their curriculum planning.
The Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative provides statewide online learning to district, charter, and private schools. The WDLC is made up of the Wisconsin Virtual School and Wisconsin eSchool Network, and gives districts access to online courses, professional development, technology resources.
The Wisconsin Virtual School opened in 2000, and is a supplemental course provider for Wisconsin middle and high school students in more than 220 school districts. Courses through WVS will count as half credit courses for brick-and-mortar schools. Over 47,000 students have enrolled through WVS since it was established, and currently more than half of Wisconsin school districts are participating in the program.
The Wisconsin eSchool Network connects over 25 school districts to share digital learning tools, online learning instructional plans, and technology implementation.
Wisconsin has three school districts that are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, expanding digital learning opportunities for over 16,000 students in the state. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Wisconsin can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Wisconsin’s Districts of Innovation program aims to improve educational outcomes for students by providing flexibilities from bureaucratic regulations, “if districts can demonstrate that state laws or regulations are impeding their efforts to improve outcomes for children and articulate a different approach to improving student achievement, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will use its statutory authority to get those barriers out of the way.”
The state closed schools March 15 and began providing information and resources for schools, teachers, and parents immediately and regularly:. The state encouraged districts to implement remote learning plans and in June provided teachers, schools, and districts with resources and recommendations. The Wisconsin digital equity guidelines include these four pillars “to ensure schools can serve all students: accessible digital content, a designated computer at home for school activities, internet access, and digital literacy training for staff and students.”
Districts are responsible for developing reopening plans, and The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released a School Reopening Guidance August 18.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#41
The Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan incorporates the Future Ready Framework to outline a roadmap for adopting new technologies and instructional practices for teaching and learning in 21st century classrooms. Wisconsin has 41 virtual charter schools operating in the state, and a lot of school districts in the state have virtual and online programs available as a part of their course offerings. The state provides free statewide software tools for schools to incorporate into their classrooms, such as ESRI Geographic Software, Google Suite for Education, Microsoft Enrollment for Education Solution, SketchUp, and Autodesk.
The state also has Virtual Learning Time, where schools can incorporate virtual learning on days when school is cancelled. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 16.3%, or 66 school districts, had implemented Virtual Learning Time.
The state places significant value on teaching students technology literacy with the Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy for students. WDIP emphasises “the focus is on learning with information and technology rather than learning about information and technology.” These standards can be integrated into the core curriculum in a variety of ways, and districts have the flexibility to decide how standards are met. Currently, 80% of districts in the state are using the Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy to guide their curriculum planning.
The Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative provides statewide online learning to district, charter, and private schools. The WDLC is made up of the Wisconsin Virtual School and Wisconsin eSchool Network, and gives districts access to online courses, professional development, technology resources.
The Wisconsin Virtual School opened in 2000, and is a supplemental course provider for Wisconsin middle and high school students in more than 220 school districts. Courses through WVS will count as half credit courses for brick-and-mortar schools. Over 47,000 students have enrolled through WVS since it was established, and currently more than half of Wisconsin school districts are participating in the program.
The Wisconsin eSchool Network connects over 25 school districts to share digital learning tools, online learning instructional plans, and technology implementation.
Wisconsin has three school districts that are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, expanding digital learning opportunities for over 16,000 students in the state. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Wisconsin can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Wisconsin’s Districts of Innovation program aims to improve educational outcomes for students by providing flexibilities from bureaucratic regulations, “if districts can demonstrate that state laws or regulations are impeding their efforts to improve outcomes for children and articulate a different approach to improving student achievement, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will use its statutory authority to get those barriers out of the way.”
The state closed schools March 15 and began providing information and resources for schools, teachers, and parents immediately and regularly:. The state encouraged districts to implement remote learning plans and in June provided teachers, schools, and districts with resources and recommendations. The Wisconsin digital equity guidelines include these four pillars “to ensure schools can serve all students: accessible digital content, a designated computer at home for school activities, internet access, and digital literacy training for staff and students.”
Districts are responsible for developing reopening plans, and The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released a School Reopening Guidance August 18.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Tony Evers (D)
1st Term (Term Began in 2019)
Governor Tony Evers is a long-time opponent of parent power who once served as state superintendent and worked to interfere with the State’s famous Choice programs. He has stated publicly that he will propose freezing enrollment in Wisconsin’s parental choice programs and curtail the expansion of independent public charter schools. He vetoed a plan that would have completely eliminated income caps at private voucher schools. When it comes to education opportunity, his re-election is daunting for the state’s thousands of minority parents looking to support their children’s school outside of their zip code.
Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Republican lawmakers who have historically pioneered and supported any laws that put parents first. Trying to pass any new reform measures will be a big challenge here, considering they have to contend with a staunchly anti-reform governor.
“Wisconsin’s constitution contains a Blaine amendment and a Compelled Support Clause, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court interprets both in accordance with federal Establishment Clause jurisprudence.The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the first-ever uniformity challenge to a school choice program, holding that although the Legislature is required to provide public schooling to all, it can also offer additional educational opportunities outside the traditional public school system.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are immediately apparent in two clicks from Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction homepage, under the Family and Students tab, then clicking Student and School Data. Report cards are in PDF format, making it easy for parents to print out, and are easy to read. Schools receive an overall score, as well as separate ratings in four priority areas: student achievement, school growth, closing gaps, and on-track and postsecondary readiness.
Educational options are easily accessible under Families & Students, and School Choice. Here parents can access information on private school choice programs, charter schools, virtual schools, open enrollment non-resident public schools, college coursework while enrolled in high school, and more.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.
Tony Evers (D)
1st Term (Term Began in 2019)
Governor Tony Evers is a long-time opponent of parent power who once served as state superintendent and worked to interfere with the State’s famous Choice programs. He has stated publicly that he will propose freezing enrollment in Wisconsin’s parental choice programs and curtail the expansion of independent public charter schools. He vetoed a plan that would have completely eliminated income caps at private voucher schools. When it comes to education opportunity, his re-election is daunting for the state’s thousands of minority parents looking to support their children’s school outside of their zip code.
Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Republican lawmakers who have historically pioneered and supported any laws that put parents first. Trying to pass any new reform measures will be a big challenge here, considering they have to contend with a staunchly anti-reform governor.
“Wisconsin’s constitution contains a Blaine amendment and a Compelled Support Clause, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court interprets both in accordance with federal Establishment Clause jurisprudence.The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the first-ever uniformity challenge to a school choice program, holding that although the Legislature is required to provide public schooling to all, it can also offer additional educational opportunities outside the traditional public school system.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are immediately apparent in two clicks from Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction homepage, under the Family and Students tab, then clicking Student and School Data. Report cards are in PDF format, making it easy for parents to print out, and are easy to read. Schools receive an overall score, as well as separate ratings in four priority areas: student achievement, school growth, closing gaps, and on-track and postsecondary readiness.
Educational options are easily accessible under Families & Students, and School Choice. Here parents can access information on private school choice programs, charter schools, virtual schools, open enrollment non-resident public schools, college coursework while enrolled in high school, and more.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.