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After years of worrying about test scores in reading and math, I have come to realize that real progress takes time. When the educational establishment forces teachers to try a new whizzbang program, it may have merit, but the reality of socioeconomic disadvantages and individual disillusionment make it difficult to change test scores quickly.
What we need to look for is consistent improvement over time, and that is what seems to be happening again in West Virginia. During the coronavirus, schools were shut down, and students were not tested in 2020. Then their scores fell by 2021 from 2019 levels. However, scores are going up over the last two years, according to Steven Allen Adams, "Reading, math proficiency in schools shows improvement," The Inter-Mountain, 8/12/23, A5.
WV Summative Assessment Results for grades 3-8 and 11 have improved over the last two years. Because of the shutdown scores declined from 2019 to 2021. Reading score fell 6%, but they have recovered 2% each year since 2021, and they stand at 44% now. Math scores fell 11%, but they have recovered 5% the first year and 2% the next for a total 7% recovery and they stand at 35% proficiency now. It is true that West Virginia scores lag behind other states, but we need to keep in mind that scores improved in 2022 over 2021, and in 2023 over 2022. Now we need to keep that momentum going up.
The Third Grade Success Act that is being implemented in West Virginia this school year offers added support for students who start kindergarten and first grade this fall. Real educational accountability is not only necessary at the end of a year, but real progress in reading and math must be monitored daily, and the weakest students need the most help.
In 1976 when my first child entered the first grade in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays was President of the Atlanta Board of Education. At that time, teachers focused on "Minimum Standards," and they were expected to be sure every child met benchmark performance levels in reading and math throughout the year. I worried that my children would not move along at the pace that was appropriate for them, but they had excellent teachers who let them work with other students that met minimum standards early. It was "No Child Left Behind" plus no child limited by minimum standards. Dr. Mays respected teachers and allowed them to use their professional judgment.
If minimum standards are met by most students, then the class can move forward and master the basic skills by the end of each grade. Appropriate use of assessments is not to label students, but to help each one move along at an appropriate pace. It is important that students with special needs are identified earlier and get the help they need before they get further and further behind. Teachers, parents, and students must believe that progress is possible, and they must work together for reasonable goals every school day.