Test scores show Wisconsin schoolchildren top the national average in math and reading. But, the state's black and Hispanic students still trail in performance levels.
Math scores for 83% of Wisconsin fourth-graders were at a basic level or better. That compares with 79% nationwide.
In reading, 67% of fourth-graders in the state read at a basic or better level, which surpasses the national average of 63% But, it still means one in three four-graders read at less than a basic level. The number of Wisconsin eighth-graders who read at a basic level or better rose to 76%.
Despite the overall results for Wisconsin, there are disparities in the academic performances of minorities, similar to those shown in the nationwide figures.
For example, among Wisconsin fourth-graders, white students scored an average of 247 on the math section. Asians and Pacific Islanders averaged a score of 236, Hispanics 224 and blacks 210. Scores are based on a scale of zero to 500.
