Scores released Monday from the most recent National Assessment Educational Progress—“the nation’s report card”—reflect unprecedented and not unexpected declines affecting students in virtually every state and every region of the country.
An increasing number of high school students failed to meet any of the subject-area benchmarks set by the ACT—showing a decline in preparedness for college-level coursework.
Indiana students had small improvements in their English and math scores, with standardized test results released Wednesday indicating a tentative bright spot following years of pandemic-disrupted learning.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test will move from paper and pencil to a digital format, administrators announced Tuesday, saying the shift will boost the SAT’s relevancy as more colleges make standardized tests optional for admission.
The practice of rematching students with teachers over two years led to stronger classroom relationships, which in turn led to a small but notable increase in math and reading scores, the study found.
The gap in passing rates on state tests between white and Black students grew to 25.5 percentage points last spring from 2019.
Results of the annual ILEARN state tests released Wednesday show that 28.6% of students statewide in grades 3 through 8 tested proficient in both English and math. In 2019, the last time the test was given, 37.1% passed.
Because of state action earlier this year and federal waivers approved this week. However, poor results won’t affect accountability measurements such as school A-F grades, teacher evaluations, or identifying low-performing schools for intervention.
The decision means that schools will have to find ways to safely administer tests to tens of millions of students, many of whom are still learning remotely.
The College Board announced Tuesday it will discontinue those assessments. Citing the coronavirus crisis, officials said the pandemic has “accelerated a process already underway at the College Board to simplify our work and reduce demands on students.”
Without an exemption approved last month, most schools would have received a D or an F. That would have affected teacher’s evaluations, and therefore pay, and put many schools on the path to state intervention.
Indiana legislators have voted to end the mandatory use of student standardized test results in teacher evaluations, dropping a requirement long opposed by teachers.
Teachers have long objected to the requirement, and bill sponsor Republican Rep. Tony Cook of Cicero said removing it acknowledges the trouble with measuring teacher effectiveness based on a single student exam.
The university’s Board of Trustees recently approved the policy change, which will allow each of its nine campuses to opt out of requiring prospective students to submit test scores.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the overall national results demonstrated a “student achievement crisis” that can’t be fixed by pouring more money into the traditional public school system.
Nearly two-thirds of all Indiana students in grades 3-8 did not pass the new state standardized test, called ILEARN, according to results released Wednesday. The latest test scores represent a 13 percentage point drop in the passage rate since last year.
The Indianapolis Academy of Excellence has endured a tumultuous year, including the loss of its curriculum provider in June and the exodus of about 20 students this month.
In the first major look at the results for innovation schools in IPS—a new kind of district-charter partnership—there are some positive signs but still some unanswered questions.
Only half of the state’s elementary and middle school students passed both English and math exams in 2018, but the results released Wednesday were worse for students of color.
More high school students were affected by grading problems involving this year’s ISTEP test than previously estimated, the Indiana Department of Education said Monday.
