WISCONSIN PROFICIENCY SCORE STANDARDS

These performance level descriptions are intended to help parents, educators, and others understand what children who score at a given performance level on the WKCE are expected to know and be able to do at the time of testing. This information may be useful as one component of program planning and evaluation, but should be interpreted cautiously and in the context of other available information when applied to individual students.

Since 1997-98, Wisconsin has been using four proficiency categories: advanced, proficient, basic, and minimal performance. Proficiency score standards associate each of four scale score ranges with a specific proficiency category. Cut-scores divide scale scores into the four categories. The advanced and proficient levels are the long term educational goals for all students. Statewide standardized test scores are reported by proficiency category.

General Descriptions of the Proficiency Categories

Advanced: Demonstrates in-depth understanding of academic knowledge and skills tested on WKCE for that grade level.
Proficient: Demonstrates competency in the academic knowledge and skills tested on WKCE for that grade level.
Basic: Demonstrates some academic knowledge and skills tested on WKCE for that grade level.

Minimal Performance: Demonstrates very limited academic knowledge and skills tested on WKCE for that grade level.

More in-depth performance level descriptions are presented in three formats:

Brief Narrative Descriptions

These one-paragraph descriptions of each performance level may be most useful for those who simply want an overview of the knowledge and skills students typically demonstrate at each level.

Detailed Narrative Descriptions

These descriptions contain more detail but are still structured in a way that makes the information easy to grasp.

Elements of Performance Levels

The elements are descriptions of discrete knowledge and skills students typically demonstrate at each performance level. They complement the narratives by enumerating specific examples of knowledge and skills described in the narratives.

Click on a link below to view the indicated descriptors.

Grade	Mathematics			Reading
3	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
4	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
5	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
6	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
7	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
8	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
10	Brief	Detailed	Elements	Brief	Detailed	Elements
All	Mathematics Descriptors			Reading Descriptors