The Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) district released its results for the 2013 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) Tuesday.
The WKCE tests are state-mandated, are taken by students in grades 3-8 and 10, and cover five subject areas: reading, language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies. Administered every November, the tests are a measure of overall student success, with results falling into one of four categories: minimal, basic, proficient, or advanced.
This year’s results are based on new, more rigorous proficiency standards for reading and mathematics, which were implemented by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The new standards mirror proficiency levels used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
“MAPS students posted strong scores on the WKCE,” said Dr. Michele Jahnke, MAPS director of curriculum and instruction. “While changes in proficiency levels mean that comparing this year’s and prior years’ results is more complex, we are convinced that our efforts to continue improving reading and mathematics at the elementary level will pay off.”
District and school administrators use WKCE data, as well as other district assessments, individual assessments, and student surveys to develop annual school improvement goals.
School and district-level results are posted on the Department of Public Instruction website at http://dpi.wi.gov/sig/index.html (click on “Data Analysis”).