Skip to content

Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

In the 2020-21 school year, did zero students at Westside Academy in Milwaukee test proficient in math?


yes

For the 2020-21 school year, no students out of 32 tested at the Milwaukee Public School's Westside Academy scored "proficient" in math, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The majority scored "below basic" — the lowest rank. However, the state notes that the 2020-21 school year data should be used with caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused low participation rates. 

Combining data from 2018-2021, 3% of Westside Academy students scored "proficient" in math. Over 99% of Westside Academy students are economically disadvantaged, which often correlates with lower academic achievement. The Department of Public Instruction says 99% of K-5 schools in Wisconsin scored better than Westside Academy in English and math. 

Statewide, test scores in math have dropped since the onset of the pandemic. In the spring 2022 Forward exams, 39% of Wisconsin students tested proficient or higher in math. About 43% scored proficient or higher in 2019, with a similar drop in English proficiency. 

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.

Learn More

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.