Assembly Bill 1 proposes significant changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report in Wisconsin. The bill mandates that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) utilize the same cut scores, score ranges, and qualitative descriptions for performance categories in accountability reports as were used in the 2019-20 school year. Specifically, it renumbers and amends existing statutes to establish a new index system for identifying school performance and improvement, ensuring consistency in evaluation metrics. Additionally, the bill requires that for assessments administered in the school year the bill becomes law, DPI aligns cut scores and performance categories for the Wisconsin Forward exam with those set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and maintains the same standards for the PreACT and ACT with Writing assessments as used in the 2021-22 school year.

The bill also introduces new legal language that specifies the qualitative definitions for performance categories, ensuring that the same terminology—below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced—will be used for pupil performance evaluations. This legislative change aims to enhance the accountability framework for schools and districts by providing a stable and consistent basis for measuring educational outcomes over time. The proposed amendments are designed to improve clarity and comparability in educational assessments, ultimately supporting better educational standards and accountability in Wisconsin schools.

Statutes affected:
Text as Enrolled: 115.385(1)(c), 115.385
Bill Text: 115.385(1)(c), 115.385