Assessment and Achievement
VASD 2023-24 Average Forward, PreACT, and ACT Results Compared to Wisconsin
2023-24 Wisconsin assessment results are now available for the Forward, PreACT, and ACT. The Forward Exam is a computer administered assessment which is used to determine how well students are mastering the Wisconsin Academic Standards in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies. The Forward Exam includes multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and writing prompts. The PreACT is a summative assessment given to 9th and 10th grade students that is aligned to the ACT and the ACT College and Career Readiness Standards. The PreACT measures what students have learned in the areas of English, reading, mathematics, and science. The ACT is a curriculum and standards-based tool measuring what students have learned in high school to assist in determining academic readiness for college, the military, and careers.
The Wisconsin DPI made changes to how Forward results are reported this year. ELA and math academic standards, test designs, and scales were also revised. Every time there are revisions to academic standards (and therefore assessment designs), a corresponding performance standard-setting process is required to update cut scores, or the selected points on the score scale of a test that are used to signify if the score is sufficient for a defined purpose. The updated cut scores separate students into four performance levels (Developing, Approaching, Meeting, and Advanced). These changes mean that 2023-24 results are not easily compared to previous years' results. Instead, DPI is recommending that data users consider spring 2024 as the first year of a new data set when comparing student performance in the future.
VASD continues to outpace the state average on all of the 2023-24 Wisconsin assessments. Notably, nearly 10% more of VASD's students meet the English Language Arts grade level expectations on the Forward compared to their peers statewide and 9th graders, on average, scored 1.4 points higher than their Wisconsin peers on the PreACT. See the table below for more details.
The resources below provide further information about the Forward and how it changed from 2023-23 to 2023-24.
School and District Report Cards
As part of the state accountability system, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) produces report cards for every publicly funded school and district in Wisconsin. These report cards include data on multiple indicators for multiple years across four priority areas: Achievement, Growth, Target Group Outcomes, and On-track to Graduation. Achievement focuses on students’ proficiency in English Language Arts and math on the annual state assessments. Growth focuses on how rapidly students are gaining knowledge and skills from year to year. Target group outcomes look at outcomes for students with the lowest test scores in the district in an effort to help districts understand how they might better support those students. The on-track to graduation area explores how successfully students are achieving educational milestones that predict later success.
A school or district's Overall Accountability Score places the school/district into one of five overall accountability ratings: significantly exceeds expectations, exceeds expectations, meets expectations, meets few expectations, or fails to meet expectations. In the most recent report cards published by DPI, VASD once again exceeds expectations on the annual report card. We earned an overall score of 71.6 and an “exceeds expectations”, four-star (out of five) distinction based on data analyzed by the DPI.
We use the report card data along with a variety of other student achievement and input measures to gain insights into current educational practices, areas of strengths, and opportunities for continued growth. It is important to note that there is not one single measure that reflects the quality of a student’s education in the Verona Area School District.
School | Score | Overall Accountability |
Verona Area School District | 71.6 | Exceeds Expectations |
Verona Area High |
Exceeds Expectations |
Badger Ridge Middle | 60.1 | Meets Expectations |
Savanna Oaks Middle | 63.2 | Meets Expectations |
Country View Elementary | 73.0 | Exceeds Expectations |
Glacier Edge Elementary | 72.4 | Exceeds Expectations |
Stoner Prairie Elementary | 63.4 | Meets Expectations |
Sugar Creek Elementary | 68.1 | Meets Expectations |
Core Knowledge Charter | 82.6 | Exceeds Expectations |
New Century Charter | 90.1 | Significantly Exceeds Expectations |
Verona Area International | 90.4 | Significantly Exceeds Expectations |