Wisconsin Muddies The Picture On K-12 Student Achievement

In an interview with Jim Cowen, Colleston Morgan Jr., the executive director of the Milwaukee-based City Forward Collective, criticizes the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s decision to lower academic standards. He argues that reducing “cut scores” muddies the reality of student performance and makes it impossible to compare data year-over-year. While acknowledging the importance of student motivation, Morgan contends that “lying” to students about their preparedness only sets them up for failure against national standards.