By: Representative Dan Knodl, 24th Assembly District, Wisconsin State Legislature
For decades, colleges and universities across the country have offered developmental or remedial education courses to students who arrive on campus not yet prepared for college-level work.
The Universities of Wisconsin have long embraced this mission as part of a broader commitment to educational access. Institutions such as UW-Milwaukee have often described themselves as “access institutions,” welcoming students from diverse academic backgrounds and providing additional support to help them succeed in higher education.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 92 percent of Wisconsin high school students graduated on time during the 2024-25 school year. That is the highest graduation rate since the state adopted its current reporting methodology in 2009-10. That sounds like great news, but graduation rates tell only part of the story.
Independent measures of student achievement tell a more concerning story. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation’s Report Card, only 31 percent of Wisconsin fourth graders scored proficient in reading in 2024. That statistic matters because researchers have consistently found that students who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are far less likely to graduate from high school on time. Learning gaps that emerge in elementary school become increasingly difficult to overcome as students progress through middle school, high school, and ultimately college.
Mathematics shows a similar pattern. Only 42 percent of Wisconsin fourth graders and 37 percent of eighth graders scored proficient in math on NAEP. ACT results also raise concerns. Wisconsin’s average ACT composite score declined from 20.5 in 2016 to 19.6 just three years later and has remained around 19.4 in recent years. The numbers simply do not align. More students are earning diplomas than ever before, while objective measures of academic proficiency have remained flat or declined.
The disconnect becomes even more apparent when students arrive on college campuses. According to information provided by the Universities of Wisconsin system, nearly one in six incoming freshmen entering the UW System in Fall 2025 required developmental mathematics coursework before they were ready for college-level math. That represented 17 percent of new freshmen or 4,716 students statewide. Another 1,816 incoming freshmen, approximately 6 percent of the class, required developmental English coursework.
Still, Wisconsin taxpayers at all levels of government have continued to invest heavily in education. Under Wisconsin’s current state budget, taxpayers are providing nearly $8.9 billion annually in support for K-12 education. School aids alone exceed $7.4 billion per year, and the Legislature approved more than $500 million in additional special education funding. The Universities of Wisconsin received a $256 million increase in operating funds, and $840 million for building projects.
Recent graduation data associated with these students should concern everyone. Among the Fall 2018 freshman cohort (those who graduated between 2022 and 2024), students who entered college prepared for credit-bearing mathematics coursework graduated from the same UW institution within six years at a 71 percent rate. Students who required and completed developmental mathematics graduated at a 57 percent rate. Those who required developmental mathematics but failed to complete it graduated at only a 33 percent rate. A similar pattern exists in English coursework. Students who did not require developmental English graduated at a 68 percent rate, compared to 48 percent for students who completed developmental coursework.
Students who require remedial education are often paying college tuition for courses that do not count toward their degree. At the same time, the Universities of Wisconsin have approved tuition and fee increases for four consecutive years, increasing costs for students who are already at greater risk of falling behind. Research consistently shows that students placed into remedial coursework are less likely to complete a degree than their peers who arrive college ready. For those who leave school before graduating, the result can be the worst of both worlds: student loan debt without the credential that higher education is intended to provide.
That should concern taxpayers as much as it concerns students and parents. Wisconsin taxpayers invest in K-12 education because they expect that students who do graduate are prepared for what comes next. When thousands of students arrive at college needing remediation, it raises the question: Are we accurately measuring readiness, or are we simply moving students through the system?
If record graduation rates and widespread remediation are occurring at the same time, policymakers have an obligation to examine why. The goal of education is not merely to award diplomas. The goal is to ensure that students are truly prepared for success after graduation. Wisconsin families deserve confidence that a high school diploma represents genuine preparation for college, careers, military service, skilled trades, or other postsecondary opportunities.
