OSHKOSH, Wis. (NBC 26) — One student's test result can impact the rating of an entire school district.
According to newly released report cards from the state, Green Bay's district met expectations with a score of 59.5 out of 100. Appleton exceeded expectations with a 71.4 score.
BACKGROUND: Most school districts meet, exceed educational expectations
The ratings are based off factors like district achievement, growth and graduation preparedness. And Northeast Wisconsin school officials say the bulk of the report card is scored from standardized test results.
After semesters with hybrid and virtual learning, Julie Conrad with the Oshkosh Area School District says 3rd and 4th graders had low state test scores this past spring.
"Our 3rd graders that took that assessment in 1st and 2nd grade when they had some of the most foundational learning going on, they weren't in person," Conrad said. "And that's a big deal."
The state did not release district report cards in 2020.
But since 2019, Oshkosh still managed above average scores in English and math growth.
"We had higher than we anticipated scores on the ACT for our 11th graders," Conrad said. "We did really well in English Language Arts and writing on the ACT."
Green Bay school official Stephen Miller says his district's report card scorewas impacted by lower state testing participation with some children choosing to stay home amid the pandemic.
"All of our state assessments require a student to take them in person, so we did have a number of parents opt their child out," he said.
Despite less testing, both the Green Bay and Oshkosh district received an overall rating 'meets expectations.'
School officials say the report cards are a nice tool, but because of pandemic challenges, the Department of Public Instruction tells families to be cautious when looking at the numbers.
"Each parent should take a look at the experience their child is having at school and decide for themselves if their child is having a fulfilling school experience," Miller said.
