WA students are making a comeback on state assessments. Is Pierce County following?
New data indicates that K-12 students in Washington state are accelerating in math recovery. In Pierce County, nearly every school district is following that trend.
On Friday, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released data on spring 2023 state assessments. The assessments, which are offered each spring for grades 3-8 and 10, are meant to measure student progress compared to students in the same grade level from the previous year. They provide one metric for gauging whether students are on track for college-level learning.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2021, student performance on state assessments declined significantly, with test scores dropping by several percentage points. A similar decline was seen across the nation.
Over the past two years, Washington has been making a comeback.
The new data shows evidence of learning recovery at all grade levels — particularly math, which saw the largest decrease during the pandemic. In 2023, the percentage of students meeting math standards statewide increased at nearly every grade level. According to a recent OSPI press release, 9.5% of students accelerated to meet the math college readiness proficiency standard from the previous year.
For English language arts (ELA), 9.7% of students accelerated to meet the college readiness proficiency standard from 2022 to 2023. The percentage of elementary school students meeting ELA standards increased, while percentages for students at other grade levels decreased.
While performance in both math and reading declined for students in 10th grade, the press release noted that student participation levels in that grade also decreased, likely due to more students choosing to earn a diploma through dual-credit course completion versus assessments.
In Pierce County, school districts have seen a similar trend. For 2023 math assessments, all but one district saw an increase in the percentage of students meeting the college readiness proficiency standard from the previous year. For 2023 ELA assessments, half of the districts saw an increase and half saw a decrease.
The state’s primary standardized assessment for math and ELA is the Smarter Balanced Assessment, created by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The state also offers Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM) alternate assessments for students in grades 3–8 and 10 with significant cognitive disabilities.
In spring 2023, an average of 39.9% of students across Pierce County public school districts met SBAC math standards, while 53.8% met SBAC ELA standards. By comparison, 39.1% and 50.7% of students statewide met math and ELA standards, respectively, according to data from OSPI’s Report Card.
State tests aren’t the only indicator of academic achievement or college readiness. According to the press release, “engagement, attendance, grades, and classroom-based assignments and tests provide more detailed, timely, and useful information about individual students’ progress to their families and educators.”
“Our students enter our school buildings each day and add new learning and skills to their toolbelt,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal in the press release. “Each and every student is learning year over year! Smarter Balanced Assessments are not pass/fail tests. The tests are designed to measure college readiness without needing remedial learning. To use these data to describe students or schools as ‘failing,’ as some do, is misleading and irresponsible.”
