State Report Card: Student test scores 'holding steady'
OLYMPIA -- The report card is in for Washington state students: While most students are now meeting standards for proficiency, scores are little changed from last year, despite added pressure on teachers and students to perform.
Given rigorous federal standards, state Schools Superintendent Randy Dorn says more work needs to be done to raise scores
“They are pretty level, they are pretty flat,” Dorn said. “We’ve kind of topped out.”
Dorn was proud to note that nearly 91% of high school seniors met standards in reading, writing and math.
For earlier grades, scores were mostly in the 70s. The biggest gains came in reading; the biggest declines in math.
“It’s going to take more time after school, Saturday, summer experiences, things like that,” Dorn said about the prospect of increasing scores in the future.
This year’s results are more important than ever since Washington state is now being held to the federal 'No Child Left Behind' standard, which requires 100% proficiency. By that measure, only 12% of Washington schools passed.
For the rest, parents will soon receive letters, if they haven’t already, indicating that their schools are failing in the eyes of the federal government. They will be given the option of more tutoring or transportation to another school in the district.