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NEPC Review: 'Beyond Race--What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap' (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, March 2026)

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Title: NEPC Review: 'Beyond Race--What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap' (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, March 2026)
Language: English
Authors: Jaekyung Lee, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)
Source: National Education Policy Center. 2026.
Availability: National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Opinion Papers
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Academic Achievement, African American Students, White Students, English Instruction, Language Arts, Reading Achievement, Elementary School Students, Racism, Power Structure, Race, Poverty, Equal Education, Educational Opportunities, Criticism, Reports, Disabilities, Family Problems
Geographic Terms: Wisconsin
Abstract: A new Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) report highlights the extreme achievement gap between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in ELA/reading at the elementary school level. The report criticizes education policymakers for their purported misdiagnosis of the problem as "systemic racism." It argues that factors presented in the report as separate from race, including poverty, disability and family instability, account for the racial disparities and illustrate the need for newer approaches. While the report highlights important issues and offers some simplistic analysis of the influence of poverty and disability, it fails to acknowledge systemic racial inequalities in educational opportunities in schools. It also overlooks racial differences in interactive effects of family and school learning environments. Poverty, disability and family instability are not "beyond race"--they are intertwined with race. Moreover, the report's promotion of the Science of Reading phonics-based approach alone, based on what is known as the "Mississippi Miracle," is unwarranted, given that explanations for Mississippi's huge reading score gains are attributable to a combination of other factors--and that they evaporate by eighth grade. Except for a timely nudge to take another hard look at how to address achievement gaps, policymakers will find the report's findings and recommendations of little practical value.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED681113
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: NEPC Review: 'Beyond Race--What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap' (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, March 2026)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jaekyung+Lee%22">Jaekyung Lee</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Colorado+at+Boulder%2C+National+Education+Policy+Center+%28NEPC%29%22">University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Education+Policy+Center%22"><i>National Education Policy Center</i></searchLink>. 2026.
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  Data: National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Gap%22">Achievement Gap</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+American+Students%22">African American Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22White+Students%22">White Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+Instruction%22">English Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Arts%22">Language Arts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Achievement%22">Reading Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racism%22">Racism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+Structure%22">Power Structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poverty%22">Poverty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Opportunities%22">Educational Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Criticism%22">Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reports%22">Reports</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disabilities%22">Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Problems%22">Family Problems</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wisconsin%22">Wisconsin</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: A new Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) report highlights the extreme achievement gap between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in ELA/reading at the elementary school level. The report criticizes education policymakers for their purported misdiagnosis of the problem as "systemic racism." It argues that factors presented in the report as separate from race, including poverty, disability and family instability, account for the racial disparities and illustrate the need for newer approaches. While the report highlights important issues and offers some simplistic analysis of the influence of poverty and disability, it fails to acknowledge systemic racial inequalities in educational opportunities in schools. It also overlooks racial differences in interactive effects of family and school learning environments. Poverty, disability and family instability are not "beyond race"--they are intertwined with race. Moreover, the report's promotion of the Science of Reading phonics-based approach alone, based on what is known as the "Mississippi Miracle," is unwarranted, given that explanations for Mississippi's huge reading score gains are attributable to a combination of other factors--and that they evaporate by eighth grade. Except for a timely nudge to take another hard look at how to address achievement gaps, policymakers will find the report's findings and recommendations of little practical value.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: ED681113
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Gap
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: African American Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: White Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Arts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Power Structure
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Race
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Poverty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Opportunities
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      – SubjectFull: Criticism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reports
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Wisconsin
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: NEPC Review: 'Beyond Race--What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap' (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, March 2026)
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            NameFull: University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)
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              Y: 2026
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