MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin students made modest gains in reading and math proficiency over the past three years, but new state data shows persistent racial disparities, including a wide gap in ACT reading and English results between Black and white students. The state Department of Public Instruction released the test data Thursday. In the 2025-26 school year, 13.3% of Black students statewide who took the ACT were deemed proficient in reading and English, compared with 53.3% of white students — a difference of 40 percentage points. In Madison, 13.5% of Black ACT-takers were proficient in those subjects, while 71.9% of white students met the benchmark. The difference was 58.4 percentage points. Madison students have made small year-over-year gains on the state Forward Exam, and the district has gradually narrowed its racial proficiency gap on that test, according to the data. But the district’s gaps remain substantial and exceed the statewide disparities in some measures. “There is progress here and we should be proud of that progress, but we also have students who are not yet where they need to be,” said Chris Bucher, DPI’s director of communications. He acknowledged that the state still faces “persistent disparities that need to be addressed.” Madison Superintendent Joe Gothard said the district is moving in the right direction and working to close the opportunity gap, while recognizing that more work remains. He said the district’s efforts will remain focused on students. The racial differences in Wisconsin school outcomes have drawn broader scrutiny. A recent WalletHub ranking placed Wisconsin last among states for racial equality in education. DPI is developing statewide literacy and math plans intended to help schools address achievement gaps. The department expects to release the plans later this year.