Academic & Student Services

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PHASE I - Report of Wisconsin Alignment Project

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Alignment of Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, UW System & WTCS Admission Documents, and UW System Placement Test Objectives

The Wisconsin Alignment Project was undertaken to address issues of continuity between what students are expected to learn in high school and what they must know to be prepared to succeed in college, and to strengthen articulation between K-12 and higher education. This report describes the process and outcomes of Phase I, which took place between September 1998 and June 1999. Participants examined the alignment between the recently approved and issued (January 1998) Wisconsin Model Academic Standards (WMAS) in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign language; University of Wisconsin (UW) and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) admission documents; and UW placement tests in English, mathematics and foreign language.

Seven working groups were formed in the following areas: English Language Arts Content; English Language Arts Placement; Mathematics Content; Mathematics Placement; Science Content; Social Studies Content; and Foreign Language Content/Placement. Each group included K-12, UWS and WTCS faculty. Curriculum consultants from the Department of Public Instructions (DPI) and WTCS and professional staff from University of Wisconsin Center for Placement Testing also participated. A significant and very positive outcome of this project was the process itself. The faculty participants were unanimous in their expression of appreciation for the opportunity to work on curriculum issues across institutions and across educational systems.

The findings indicate:

  • There is considerable congruence among the documents in English and social studies. A curriculum based on the WMAS would prepare a student to meet admission requirements for UWS institutions and to enter WTCS institutions without remediation. It would also prepare students for the content of the English Placement Test.

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  • There are some areas of congruence in mathematics and science. A curriculum based on the WMAS would prepare a student to enter WTCS institutions without remediation. However, additional preparation would be required beyond that described by the WMAS for students applying to UWS institutions. Additional preparation would also be required to prepare students for the Mathematics Placement Test.

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  • The WMAS for foreign language and the CBA competencies are very different in scope and vision. Placement tests in French, German or Spanish focus on grammar and reading comprehension. A student completing two years of a curriculum based on the WMAS would be prepared for the content of these placement tests. However, the preparation would not be the result of direct emphasis.
    • It is anticipated that the results of this study will guide planning for further articulation initiatives and inform policy deliberations at all levels. Knowledge of similarities and differences in content standards raises issues about curriculum. These issues will be the focus of Phase 2 of the Wisconsin Alignment Project, a 2-year initiative that will begin fall 1999. The primary objective of this phase is to facilitate comparison of high school curriculum, revised to reflect the WMAS, and content in entry-level courses in Wisconsin post-secondary institutions in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign language. The Phase 2 working groups may develop model pilot projects in which K-12 and post-secondary faculty redesign courses to bring them into closer alignment. The English language arts, foreign language and/or mathematics group also may recommend modifications in the content of the UW System placement tests.

    DPI and UW System, Office of Academic Affairs, provided support for this project.
     


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    UWSA LogoThis document was last revised on October 14, 1999. ©January 1999 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, All Rights Reserved.