Kentucky schools showed mixed results across the board as students continue to struggle to make up ground after the pandemic.
While the percentage of students scoring proficient or better in reading, math and writing appeared to increase slightly for some age groups last year, they also dropped slightly for others, especially in science.
The proficiency rates released Thursday are from tests students took this spring and can only be compared to results beginning in 2022 due to statewide changes in academic standards, making comparison to pre-pandemic years difficult. Starting in grade 3, students’ scores are rated in a number of subject area tests as “novice,” “apprentice,” “proficient,” or “distinguished.”
There are a few bright points in the data, with proficiency in writing increasing among older students. But in no tested subject area over the last three years has any grade level breached 50% or more students testing at a proficient level.
Test scores plunged in Kentucky schools — and, indeed, schools across the country — after the learning disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a news release, Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher, who was appointed to the post earlier this year, said the picture from the previous school year “is not a straightforward one.”
“There are several areas to be proud of, some areas of concern and some areas where we as a Commonwealth have plateaued,” Fletcher said.
With an amendment on the ballot that would allow the legislature to divert public funds outside of public education, there is a microscope on public school test results this year. Fletcher said he hoped test score data wouldn’t be “used as a weapon.”
“I would hope that they'll look at the test data for what it is and say, ‘These are the positives in my area, but these are the things that we need to work on together and then collaborate with that local district as we move forward,’” Fletcher said.
While the results were mixed across the board, science proficiency remained extremely low, especially among older students — only 6% of high school students scored proficient or higher in the subject.
The rate of students testing at a proficient or distinguished level in science continued to be lower across all grade levels than any other content area.
“Science performance is concerning. We need to analyze science assessment, instruction and student performance with the goal of developing actionable steps to improve science education and performance for Kentucky’s students,” Fletcher said.
Meanwhile, in JCPS…
In the state’s largest school district, math proficiency went up slightly while reading proficiency decreased. Jefferson County Public School Superintendent Marty Pollio said he was “surprised that the impact on student outcomes wasn't greater” due to disruptions from the district's transportation crisis.
“We had kids missing [English and language arts] and math every single day — even if it was just 15 minutes, those add up,” Pollio said.
Louisville Public Media has previously reported that JCPS students missed nearly quadruple the instructional time in 2023 compared to the previous year due to bus delays. Initially, Pollio said he believed JCPS students were actually missing less time. On Wednesday, Pollio said he believed they have “corrected that issue" for this school year.
State and district-level officials also pointed to significant chronic absenteeism as contributing to poor school performance.
Fletcher pointed to a statewide ad initiative to discourage absenteeism, especially chronic absenteeism where a student misses 10% or more of enrolled class time, which has proven a stubborn problem since the pandemic.
“You're missing out on not only learning, but you're missing out on relationships. We believe one of the issues that can greatly impact students is if we can reduce that absenteeism number,” Fletcher said. “We have some districts that have 62.5% of their students that suffer from chronic absenteeism.”
Pollio noted that the number of students learning English as a second language (ESL) has exploded in JCPS and is also likely impacting their test results. He said the district needs more funding to support those students and more ESL teachers to support the growing population of students.
Color-coded ratings
This is the second time state officials have used a new color-coded system, with a “red” rating being the lowest score and a “blue” one being the highest.
The number of schools marked with the highest “blue” dropped across all grade levels while the number of elementary and high schools marked as “red” in overall performance increased.
Fletcher asked people to not put too much stock in the color-coded rating system, which was put in place by state lawmakers based on a California school rating system. He also noted that the model includes “change” compared with the previous year as it measures school performance, not just the school’s current status.
“Change isn’t always a linear process, nor is it always positive,” Fletcher said. “In the second year of change as a component of Kentucky’s accountability system, the fluctuation of change is impacting school performance.”
State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
