A WILL report examines Wisconsin’s extreme Black-White achievement gap in ELA/reading and argues that poverty, disability, and family instability, misrepresented as factors separate from systemic racism, are the primary drivers. The report oversimplifies the causes of educational disparities, ignores how those factors are intertwined with race, and overstates the effectiveness of phonics-based “Science of Reading” reforms, offering policymakers few meaningful solutions beyond renewing attention to the issue.

Suggested Citation: Lee, J. (2026). NEPC Review: Beyond race: What really drives Wisconsin’s achievement gap. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [date] from https://nepc.colorado.edu/review/beyond-race