Tuesday, November 11, 2025
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released accountability report cards on November 11 for districts and schools across the state. The latest state report card for Milwaukee Public Schools continues to show the urgent need to grow academic achievement, while revealing some progress toward that goal, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announced.
Under new changes to report card calculations, MPS’s overall score for 2024–25 is 59.5, reflecting some improvement in achievement and growth. The score is higher than last year’s, but a change to categories means that MPS is rated “Meets Few Expectations” instead of “Meets Expectations.”
“We need to grow more and faster to truly meet and exceed the expectations that our families and community have for us — and the expectations we have for each other as educators. Our new Literacy Plan is the first step toward stronger growth,” Dr. Cassellius said. “The Literacy Plan honors the dedication and commitment of our 4,000-plus teachers by giving them the modern tools and techniques that will help all students — and all means all — learn to read.”
The district’s new Literacy Plan focuses on high-quality instruction for all students at all grade levels. It shifts from older methods such as “three cueing” to teaching students to decode words, in alignment with the science of reading and Wisconsin Act 20.
The plan is being implemented and includes 40 hours of dedicated teacher training during the 2025–26 school year. Some initial improvements could be visible in the spring 2026 state tests; those results will be released in fall 2026. The community can expect meaningful impact in the next two to three years.
Dr. Cassellius stressed that stronger literacy is the key to growing student performance in math, science, social studies, and all aspects of education. To learn more about the MPS Literacy Plan — including a video — visit the literacy page on the district website.
School-specific report card results show: