MPS Literacy Plan Shows Early Gains On State Reading Exams
District ELA proficiency ticks up, with 23 schools improving at least five points on Forward Exam.
Bruce Elementary School in Milwaukee has jumped 10 points on the Wisconsin Forward Exam. Corrinne Hess/WPR
Milwaukee Public Schools is seeing early gains under the district’s new literacy plan with 23 schools up five or more percentage points on the Wisconsin Forward Exam.
Scores released Thursday by the Department of Public Instruction show overall English Language Arts proficiency for MPS students in grades three through eight increased 1.5 percent from 23.6 percent to 25.1 percent.
Growth among Black students in MPS are up 2 points — exceeding the statewide average.
“I’m not spiking the football today, but I am giving credit where credit is due because progress matters, and I think that it demonstrates that we’re on the right path,” said MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius.
Cassellius said MPS third through eighth graders also saw gains in science, math and social studies, which she attributed to improving reading skills.
“When you see that kind of progress in all subject areas, what that indicates is that when children can read, they can succeed in all other subject areas,” Cassellius said.
MPS launched a new elementary literacy curriculum in January and the district plans to introduce a new curriculum for high school students this school year.
Over the summer, more than 1,000 teachers, principals and support staff took part in literacy training.
Scores for high school students in MPS are more mixed, with reading scores declining 1.2 percentage points.
But Cassellius said a new reading curriculum for older students will be rolled out this school year, replacing curriculum that dates to 2006 and 2012.
Bruce School up more than 10 points in ELA proficiency
Bruce Elementary School on Milwaukee’s far northwest side is one of four MPS schools where students scored at least 10 points higher than last year on their reading tests.
Bruce School has about 270 students. More than 80 percent of the children are Black and 95 percent are considered economically disadvantaged.
Principal Lisa Turner said teachers have focused on the educational data and trusted in the process.
“With that buy-in from our teachers, we get that buy-in from the kids, we get that buy-in from the community, and our scores are showing that,” Turner said. “I’m excited. My teachers are excited, and we’re looking for great things as we continue through the school year.”
Fourth grade teacher Saleema Covington works with a student at Bruce Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Corrinne Hess/WPR
Fourth grade teacher Saleema Covington said she was shocked when she saw the test results because gains can be tough to see in the day-to-day work of teaching.
“But it is really exciting because knowing your kids, building those relationships, it helps them want to do better, not just for our scores but for themselves and their families,” Covington said.
Statewide data shows moderate progress
Statewide, proficiency rates in English language arts and reading increased slightly for most grades and student groups.
Mathematics proficiency increased slightly among middle and high school students, but proficiency declined slightly for elementary students compared with the previous year.
DPI data from the Wisconsin Student Assessment System — which includes the Forward Exam, Dynamic Learning Maps, the PreACT Secure and the ACT — shows 48.4 percent of students in grades three through 11 were proficient or above in ELA, while 48.7 percent were proficient or above in math.
Statewide results include students in public schools and private schools that participate in the Choice Program.
Public school students scored higher than Choice students with 49.7 percent proficient in ELA and 50.2 percent proficient in math.
Among students attending Choice schools, 30.2 percent were proficient or above in ELA and 27.3 percent were proficient or above in math.
During the 2024-25 school year, Choice students were 29.6 percent proficient or above in ELA and 26.9 percent proficient or above in math. That same year, public school kids were 48.9 percent proficient or above in ELA and 50 percent were proficient or above in math in 2024-25.
Significant proficiency gaps between Black and white students remain.
One of the bright spots statewide was the Madison Metropolitan School District.
On the Forward Exam, about 49 percent of third through eighth graders are proficient or above at ELA, up from about 46 percent two years ago. In math, 45.7 percent of those students are proficient or above, up from 43 percent two years ago.
“Wisconsin students continue to make steady progress, and we should be proud of that progress,” State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement. “We have more work to do as a state to give our students the support they need and give educators the tools and resources they need to help them succeed. We owe it to every student and every educator to keep moving it forward.”
Assessment data for all tests and schools can be found on the DPI’s WISEdash Public Portal.
Statewide test scores show Milwaukee Public Schools making gains with new literacy plan was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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