The West Virginia Department of Education has released the results of the annual standardized tests, and the results show we have a long way to go to ensure that our students are receiving a “thorough and efficient” education, as required by the state Constitution.
The assessments of students in grades three through eight and the 11th grade found that only 29 percent were proficient in science, 36 percent in math and 45 percent in English language arts (ELA). Those numbers are virtually the same as the previous year with just a one percentage point increase in math and ELA and no change in science.
The math scores stand out. Thirty-five percent of the tested students fall in the category of “does not meet standard.” That means the student has only a “minimal understanding of, and ability to apply, math knowledge, skills and abilities” necessary for college or career readiness.
Twenty-seven percent of the students tested failed to meet the reading standard. This is also a troubling statistic since reading is so critical to learning and understanding all other subjects.
The test scores for each county are posted on the state Department of Education website. I am not going to pick on any particular county, but a quick search shows there are county school systems where nearly half of the students tested are not proficient in the core subjects, while the percent of students who are proficient is in the single digits.
State Board of Education member Greg Wooten said at this week’s board meeting that the results are disappointing. “If we were looking at these stats for an athletic program, in any particular county, we’d be talking about firing a coach, we’d be talking about recruiting better athletes,” he said.
The dark cloud of the results does have a silver lining. State School Superintendent Michele Blatt pointed to a six percentage point increase in reading proficiency for third grade students. Blatt credits recent legislation and programs that emphasize reading proficiency in the early grades.
“We’re very optimistic that if we continue that trajectory and we stay the course on what we’re currently doing with this back to the basics with our reading and math that we’ll be able to continue to see those gains,” Blatt said.
That is encouraging. Educators often say that students in grades first through third learn to read, and after that they read to learn. Improvements in early grade reading skills can bend the curve toward better outcomes in all subjects.
West Virginia faces a monumental challenge in public education with teacher and staff shortages, chronic absenteeism of students, discipline issues and, in many cases, a lack of appreciation of the value of education.
These test scores are just one measurement, but they are an indicator of the magnitude of the challenge of having a well-educated citizenry.
(Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly identified Greg Wooten as the president of the Board of Education. Nancy Smith is the president.)