KENOSHA, Wis. — The 2024 results of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were released Wednesday. According to the NAEP report, Wisconsin ranked the worst in the nation for racial disparity, with the widest gap in math and reading scores between Black and white students.  

Some school districts in Wisconsin are taking steps to address the disparities in test scores between Black and white students.

In Kenosha, educators said they are moving beyond discussions and putting solutions into action.

Wendy Tindall, chief academic officer of Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD), said the district’s new three-year improvement plan has a clear goal of increasing student proficiency in reading and math by 12%.

“Our goal is to impact students by improving their achievement, and we know that some populations within our school district have bigger gains to make,” Tindall said.

In an effort to achieve that goal, KUSD schools have expanded phonics instruction and adjusted teaching strategies to better support students who need it most.

The work extends beyond the classroom. Community organizations are also assisting in the effort.

The YMCA’s Achievers Program partnered with KUSD to help students improve academically. Rachel Mall, the education and community impact director at YMCA Kenosha, said they are already seeing results.

“One year, for example, the school’s goal was for 60 to 65% of students to meet or exceed their growth targets. For Achievers students, that number was closer to 80 to 85%,” Mall said.

Many education leaders said addressing racial disparities requires a long-term commitment. But in Kenosha, early efforts are providing both students and educators with a sense of progress.

“It’s a universal system, so within all of our schools, we know that if we start making these changes, we will make the impact,” Tindall said.