BELOIT — Minority and economically disadvantaged scholars at The Lincoln Academy (TLA) performed better than the state average according to the 2025-2026 Wisconsin Forward Exam results, according to figures released by the Beloit charter school.
The Lincoln Academy increased proficiency among Black and Hispanic scholars. In English Language Arts (ELA0, 51% of TLA’s Black scholars met or exceeded expectations, compared to 19.7% statewide. In mathematics, 44.5% of TLA’s Black scholars met or exceeded expectations, compared to 15% statewide.
Hispanic scholars also demonstrated growth in both subjects. In ELA, 41.9% of TLA’s Hispanic scholars met or exceeded expectations, compared to 34.4% statewide. In mathematics, 37.6% of TLA’s Hispanic scholars met or exceeded expectations, compared to 31.8% statewide.
“At The Lincoln Academy, we believe that every scholar deserves access to an excellent education, regardless of their background or ZIP code,” stated Chief Education Officer Dr. Kristi Cole. “While statewide results continue to reveal significant disparities in academic achievement, our scholars are demonstrating what is possible when educational opportunity is available to all.”
Among economically disadvantaged scholars at TLA, 41% met or exceeded expectations in ELA, compared to 35% statewide. In mathematics, 40% met or exceeded expectations, compared to 34% statewide. Together, these results reflect TLA’s continued focus on expanding educational opportunities and supporting academic success for every scholar.
Overall, 49.7% of TLA scholars met or exceeded expectations in ELA, a 5.5-percentage-point increase from the previous year. Mathematics proficiency rose 1.9 percentage points to 48%.
Even among scholars in the highest performance category, Advanced, TLA saw growth of 4.6 percentage points in ELA and 2.4 percentage points in mathematics.
In particular, TLA’s third- and fourth-grade scholars exceeded statewide proficiency rates in both ELA and mathematics, with especially strong results in third-grade mathematics and fourth-grade ELA, as highlighted below.
The Wisconsin Forward Exam is administered online in the spring of each year. The exam is given to students in grades 3 — 8 in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Students in grades 4 and 8 take the exam for science, and grades 4, 8 and 10 students are tested on social studies.
The Wisconsin Forward Exam is a high quality, research-based, and affordable online assessment designed to test student’s grade-level knowledge and skills as described in the Wisconsin Academic Standards. It is a customized assessment with innovative item types that includes test questions reviewed and approved by Wisconsin educators.
