State education leaders got their first look at last year’s statewide test scores Wednesday.
English and math proficiency scores showed an increase of one percentage point overall in 2024 compared to 2023, while science scores stayed the same. That’s according to a presentation of the 2024 statewide summative assessment data given by the West Virginia Department of Education’s (WVDE) Office of Assessment at the West Virginia Board of Education meeting Wednesday.
The statewide assessments were administered to more than 95 percent of students in grades three through eight, as well as grade 11. There were slight gains in overall proficiency with increases since last year in English language arts (ELA) – from 44 percent to 45 percent – and math – 35 percent to 36 percent. Science proficiency remained flat at 29 percent.
Third grade English proficiency increased by a full six percent year to year. State Superintendent Michele Blatt credits that to the implementation of the Third Grade Success Act.
“This third-grade class did not have the additional age yet, but they were provided the benchmarks required, and then all of the interventions had to be in place this year,” she said. “We’re very optimistic that if we continue that trajectory and we stay the course on what we’re currently doing, kind of with this back to the basics with our reading and math, that we’ll be able to continue to see those gains.”
House Bill 3035, also known as the Third Grade Success Act, passed the state legislature in 2023. It aims to address low reading and math test scores across the state with a focus on fundamentals and individualized interventions with teaching aides and paraprofessionals in grades one through three.
In math, there was a three-percentage point drop in grade 11, from 21 percent last year to 18 percent. WVDE is set to launch its Unite with Numeracy initiative this fall to target math proficiency.
“The standards were just recently revised for math that have been adopted by this board, and then this was the curriculum adoption year,” Blatt said. “So all of our counties are starting out this fall with their new curriculum and things for math, so that will be a large focus this year.”