The results are in on this year’s testing of the competency of Missouri school children in mathematics and communications arts. Tests of competencies in math and communications art have been given to students in grades three through eight; with communications arts tests given 11th graders and math tests given tenth graders.
Assistant education commissioner Stan Johnson says the biggest improvements have come from students in the middle grades. He says smaller improvements were made in other grades…and some students in some grades stayed the same.
Johnson says school districts will get the results of each student and from each grade and each building. He says local officials will be able to draw comparisons with each student from one year to the next to better identify what skills the student is mastering and what skills the students need to improve.
One gratifying result from this year’s tests—gains by African American students in the last year are greater than gains by white students in both math and communications arts–although Black, and Hispanic students proficiency ratings remain well below those of White or Asian-Pacific student ratings\
Johnson says the department will do more studies of ways to close the achievement gaps.
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