Fond Du Lac Times

The Wisconsin State Assembly has approved a set of education reform bills aimed at raising academic standards, improving transparency, and supporting student success. Representative William Penterman voted in favor of these measures, including Assembly Bill 1, which focuses on providing greater transparency in student assessments.

“We need an honest assessment that accurately reflects classroom learning,” said Representative Penterman. “Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction has moved the goalpost to create a dishonest report that lowers academic standards.”

Assembly Bill 1 seeks to align the state's testing standards with those used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), with the goal of better reflecting actual student achievement.

“The pandemic set our students back, and instead of working to catch them up, DPI has decided to set them back even further through dishonest analysis and lower expectations,” Penterman stated.

The proposed legislation aims to reverse this trend by reinstating higher standards and ensuring more accurate assessments for students’ future preparation. The bill will next be considered by the Wisconsin State Senate.

Penterman is a Republican who was elected in 2025 to represent Wisconsin's 38th House district, succeeding Barbara Dittrich.