MADISON, WI (April 14, 2025) — One City Advocates, an affiliate of One City Schools, today released “Breaking Cycles, Building Futures: Black Education in Madison (1960-2025),” a comprehensive report documenting six decades of efforts to address educational disparities affecting Black students in Madison’s public schools. The research, authored by One City Advocates President Kaleem Caire, reveals recurring patterns that have limited the effectiveness of reform initiatives since 1965, while highlighting promising innovations that could break this cycle.
“For over 60 years, Madison has been implementing programs to close the achievement gap, yet the data shows we’re still facing a crisis,” said Caire. “In 2024, only 5.8% of Black 11th-graders in Madison (22 of 310 students) were academically prepared to succeed in college-level reading and writing (compared to 27% of Black students nationally and 10.3% across Wisconsin). Similarly, just 7.1% were ready for college-level math (compared to 8% of Black students nationally and 6.4% across Wisconsin).”
Wisconsin currently ranks last among all states in reading and math achievement for Black students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), while states like Texas, Florida, and Mississippi have significantly improved their rankings over the past two decades.
The report documents how numerous well-intentioned local initiatives have historically followed a pattern: launching with enthusiasm, facing implementation challenges, budget cuts and leadership turnover, and ultimately being replaced by new approaches before demonstrating sustainable impact.
“This isn’t about assigning blame but about understanding patterns so we can collectively break them,” Caire emphasized. “Traditional systems alone cannot solve these persistent challenges—they need partners who can help accelerate change and bring new approaches to scale. They also need parents to be more engaged and ensuring children are attending school ready to learn every day, and they need the community to hold children to higher expectations and provide greater access to opportunities that largely unaffordable or inaccessible to most Black families.”
The report concludes with a call for greater collaboration among schools, policymakers, philanthropists, and business leaders to implement more durable, evidence-based solutions that build upon historical lessons.
The full report is available on the One City Schools website at https://bit.ly/KaleemCaire-BreakingCyclesReport2025.
About One City Advocates
One City Advocates is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization focused on policy advocacy and research related to education innovation and equity in Wisconsin. Founded in 2022, the organization works to create positive systemic change in education through data-driven research, community engagement, and collaborative partnerships with schools, policymakers, and community stakeholders. One City Advocates is an affiliate organization of One City Schools. Learn more at www.onecityadvocates.org.
About One City Schools
One City Schools is a nonprofit organization operating three public schools in Madison and Monona, Wisconsin: One City Preschool, One City Elementary School, and One City Preparatory Academy, serving children from early childhood through eighth grade. Founded in 2014, One City takes an innovative approach to education with year-round schooling, extended learning time, comprehensive family engagement, and a curriculum focused on real-world problem-solving. Learn more at www.onecityschools.org.
