K-12 Education And

Higher Education

OUR POLICY SOLUTIONS ON K-12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION

IRG Announces New School Finder Tool for Parents

MADISON, WI. - Today, the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced a new School Finder Tool designed to help parents find a school that fits the needs of their children. By entering your address, the free School Finder Tool - powered by Schoolahoop and designed by Lincoln Network’s Studio Department - gives parents quick access ...

Policy Solution: Get Right on Reading

Click here to find a print-ready version of the "Get Right on Reading" policy solution. Wisconsin ranked 40th among states in reading when adjusted for race and income. Our state cannot be prosperous without fantastic schools statewide, and our schools cannot reach their potential without expertly teaching reading. By adapting other states’ ...

Analysis of DPI 2022 K-12 Test Scores

Last Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released test score data from 2021-2022, the best indicators we have of student learning loss from COVID and school closures. Here are some initial takeaways from Quinton Klabon, IRG’s Senior Research Director: 1. Statewide reading went down from 41% to 37% college-ready. In other ...

New K-12 Data Shows Schools Falling Further Behind

The numbers are in: our students are not rebounding from the Evers administration's school shutdowns. 14,000 fewer Wisconsin children can read well enough for college, a 4% drop. 103,000 kids across the state can't even read at grade level. 9 Milwaukee Public Schools don't have a single student proficient in math, and their best schools have ...

The Real State of Wisconsin Schools

Superintendent Underly’s State of Education Address described a world where diversity and equity consultants were schools’ superheroes in lieu of teachers and parents, where the neediest kids got extra help instead of being locked out of their schools, and where Wisconsin spent pennies on education rather than being 17th nationally. In the ...

Facing Reality: New IRG Report Highlights Schools Falling Behind

As Wisconsin students head back to the classroom this month, parents face a stark reality: other states handled COVID better and our kids are now way behind. Our top students no longer compare to the nation’s best, and even more troubling, our struggling students face greater challenges than ever. How bad is the problem? Well, what have ...