Every student in the Fox Valley region deserves to receive the educational support and resources needed to help them achieve a bright future. Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant impacts on students in Wisconsin. These challenges were particularly acute for students who were more likely to be struggling prior to the pandemic, like students with lower incomes, students of color, and students who speak English as a second language. With federal pandemic relief funds drying up, state leaders must ensure schools have adequate resources and that students don’t fall even more behind.
In school districts with the largest enrollment rates like Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago County, a majority of students did not meet English Language Arts proficiency standards during the 2021-22 school year. These percentages were even higher among students who are more likely to face barriers in and out of school, such as students of color, students with lower incomes, and students who speak English as a second language.
Advanced Courses
Achieving academic proficiency is critical for accessing postsecondary preparation opportunities. Advanced coursework is just one indicator for postsecondary preparation. Overall, just a small number of students are enrolled in advanced courses and there are clear gaps among students of color and white students for the 2021-2022 school year.¹
- In the Chilton Public School District, there are no Latine students enrolled in advanced courses, compared to 19% of white students.
- In the Appleton Area School District, 6% of Black and Native American students, 12% of Latine and Asian students, and 25% of white students are enrolled in advanced courses.
- In the Oshkosh Area School District, 3% of Black students, 5% of Latine students, 8% of Asian students, and 14% of white students are enrolled in advanced courses.
There are a number of barriers that may prevent students from enrolling in postsecondary preparation opportunities, including insufficient school funding, support services, and pathways to meet eligibility requirements, such as meeting academic proficiency levels. Wisconsin schools should break down these barriers to ensure that every student is provided with the resources necessary to be able to access postsecondary and career pathway opportunities.
Putting Kids First
The Governor’s 2023 budget strongly supports putting kids first. The proposed budget provides:
- an additional $2.6 billion over the next two years to equalize educational opportunity across all districts and to support special education services
- funding for literacy programs, bilingual programs, mental health services, and universal school meals.
Providing school districts with the resources they need will improve academic outcomes, and prepare every student for future opportunities.
Take Action
Contact your legislators and let them know that Wisconsin’s children & families deserve better:
- Find your representatives.
- Use our budget analyses here to help inform your comments.
- Sharing your personal experiences in your own voice is incredibly powerful.
- To learn more about how to advocate for more equitable education policies in Wisconsin, read Standing up for Racial Justice: A Starter Guide on Policy and Advocacy in Wisconsin.
View the Starter Guide in English, Spanish, or Hmong above.
Community Resources
- Community-based Advocacy and Research for Equity in our Schools (CARES)
- People of Progression
- Pointters Community Initiatives
- Scholars on Target to Achieve Results Program
Contact
Amanda Martinez, amartinez@kidsforward.org
- Due to small student populations, disaggregated data for all races are not available.