MPS families–take note of important spring testing dates
Milwaukee Public Schools will soon be starting the district spring testing period, which begins on March 7, 2023. As a public school system, we are required to uphold state and federal laws and test at least 95 percent of all students annually on a standardized exam to measure achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Wisconsin law provides an opportunity, if necessary, for parents to opt students out of testing in grades 4, 8, 10, and 11. Requests for opt-outs must be submitted in writing to the school principal by the student’s parent/guardian. We do not offer this option at other grades except in certain circumstances, such as medical issues.
We strongly encourage full participation so that we can monitor all students’ progress on state standards. All assessments listed below require in-person test administration. Students participating in the Milwaukee Virtual Program and Milwaukee Virtual Education Program are required to test in person. Below are the assessments, descriptions, and testing windows of each spring assessment.
Grade Band |
Test |
Description |
Testing Window(s) |
Grades 3–8, 10 |
Wisconsin Forward Exam |
Students will test in English language arts and math in grades 3–8, science and social studies in grades 4–8, and social studies in grade 10. |
3/20–4/28 |
Grades 3–11 |
Dynamic Learning Maps |
State assessment counterpart to the Wisconsin Forward Exam taken by students with disabilities on alternate standards. |
3/20–4/28 |
Grades 9 and 10 |
PreACT® Secure™ |
State assessment that aligns to the ACT® and measures students’ college and career readiness. |
3/22 |
Grade 11 |
ACT® |
State assessment that measures students’ college and career readiness. |
3/7 |
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, MPS high schools will administer the ACT to grade 11 students. On this date, only juniors will be in attendance. Freshmen, sophomores, and seniors will not report to school on this date but will engage in asynchronous work. Multi-grade schools on the early start calendar (e.g., K–12, 3–12, 6–12) will have regular attendance for students not in grades 9, 10, or 12.
On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, MPS high schools will administer the PreACT Secure to grades 9 and 10 students. On this date, only freshmen and sophomores will be in attendance. Juniors and seniors will not report to school on this date but will engage in asynchronous work. Multi-grade schools on the early start calendar (e.g., K–12, 3–12, 6–12) will have regular attendance for students not in grades 11 or 12.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact your child’s school or the Department of Research, Assessment, and Data at (414) 475-8258.