Eighth Grade Math Proficiency

• Relative to the state of Wisconsin, a substantially lower proportion of Burnett County’s 8th graders tested at the proficient or advanced level in math.
• In contrast, the proportion of students in Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties who tested proficient or advanced in math was substantially higher than the state average.
• In all four counties, more than half the students did not attain “proficiency” in math – a number that reaches a staggering 77% (over three in four students) in Burnett County.
• Wisconsin and Minnesota use different indicators for math proficiency and are not directly comparable.
   

• While the proportion of 8th graders in Washington County who met or exceeded math proficiency standards exceeded the state average, such proportion of students in Chisago County is now 9% under the average for Minnesota.
• More than half of students in Minnesota and Washington County, and over two in three (69%) in Chisago County, failed to meet the 8th grade math standard.
• Minnesota and Wisconsin use different indicators for math proficiency and are not directly comparable.

• Over 2018-19 to 2022-23 period, the proportions of 8th grade students in St. Croix, Pierce and Polk Counties rated as proficient or advanced in math have consistently exceeded the state average.
• Over that time period, the proportion of Burnett County 8th graders rated as proficient or advanced in math has constantly been below the state average.
• After a sharp decrease in 2020-21 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related school closures, 8th grade math proficiency has rebounded in the last two editions of the exams; however, proficiency rates in Wisconsin and all four counties still have not reached pre-pandemic levels.
• The Forward and DLM exams were not administered during the 2019-20 school year due to COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures.

• The proportions of 8th graders rated as meeting or exceeding math standards trended up until about 2016 in both Chisago and Washington Counties but fell down significantly after 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related school closures.
• Washington County has been above the state average with respect to the percent of 8th graders who meet or exceed the math standard, while Chisago County (previously at or above the state average), fell for the first time below the average 8th grade math proficiency rate for Minnesota in 2023.
• Since 2012, the state average of the percent of 8th graders rated as meeting or exceeding math standards has been slowly declining, a decline that has accelerated since 2020.
• The MCA exams were not administered during the spring of the 2020 school year due to COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures.
   

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