Todd Novak, Wisconsin State Representative of 51st District | Facebook
Todd Novak, Wisconsin State Representative of 51st District | Facebook
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE)".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates changes to Wisconsin's educational assessment program and the structure of school accountability reports. Beginning with the school year it is enacted, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must revert to using the cut scores, score ranges, and performance category definitions from the 2019-20 school year for school and district report cards. For the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) tests, DPI will align the English language arts and math assessment standards for grades three through eight with the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Meanwhile, for the PreACT and ACT with Writing examinations in English, reading, and math for grades nine to eleven, DPI will use the standards from the 2021-22 school year. Performance categories must use the terms "below basic," "basic," "proficient," and "advanced." These changes are aimed at standardizing and restoring previous evaluation metrics across Wisconsin's public schools.
The bill was co-authored by Senator John Jagler (Republican-13th District), Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Mark Born (Republican-37th District), and Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), and Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), along with 34 other co-sponsors.
Novak, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2015 to represent the state's 51st Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Howard Marklein.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB1 | 01/31/2025 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) |
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