Oak Creek Test Scores Beat State Average

The Oak Creek-Franklin School District beat the state average in nearly every area and grade in this year's Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam, the results of which were released Tuesday. 

"Although we believe that just surpassing the state average is not our end goal, it is an important start to our improvement path," officials wrote in an analysis to school board members.

The one area they didn't -- sixth grade math -- will get a close look to figure out why and what can be done to improve, said Chad Evenson, the district's curriculum coordinator.

One possible explanation is a new program that was implemented last year. As both teachers and students adjusted, they weren't able to get through all the units, Evenson said.

Oak Creek also tied the state average in 10th grade math. Math scores have remained relatively flat over the past few years, and officials said they are working to enhance the math curriculum to see improvement in those scores, as they did when the district's reading program was revamped.

Studying trends at each grade level and demographic, as well as tracking students as they go through the school district, is much of the district's focus, officials said.

The district was pleased that students who are in Oak Creek-Franklin schools for longer periods of time have continued to outpace the growth of students in the rest of the state.

The full WKCE results are available on the state Department of Public Instruction website.