April 10, 2018

Charleston, W.Va. – West Virginia fourth-grade students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2017 showed slight improvements in the percent of students considered “at or above proficient” according to data released today by the National Center for Educational Statistics. More than 32 percent of students scored at or above proficiency in reading, up from 29.97% in 2015. Nearly 35% of students scored at or above proficiency in math, compared to 32.57% in 2015.

Most states across the country, including West Virginia, saw overall average scale scores hold steady in math and reading since 2015. Although scores were stable, the Mountain State now ranks 37th in the country for the number of students in fourth grade who scored at or above the proficiency level in reading and ranks 40th in the country for the number of students in fourth grade who scored at or above the proficiency level in math. West Virginia’s national ranks have moved up since 2015 from 41st and 44th respectively.

“Our educators have stood firm in asking us for consistency in our standards and I know we will continue to see improvements among students as they receive consistent, high-quality standards,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Paine. “I believe our students are on the right track in large part because our teachers are delivering our standards with high quality.”

Scores in math show there is still work to be done. The percent of students at or above the proficiency level in math falls below the national average in both fourth and eighth grade.

“Today’s release confirms what we already know – there is still work to be done, especially in the area of math,” Paine said. “These results reinforce the need to attract certified, high quality math teachers throughout the state.”

NAEP, also referred to as The Nation’s Report Card, tests a representative sample of students statewide by distributing assessment questions in math and ELA content areas among groups of test takers who take different versions of the test. The assessment is administered every other year.

The Nation’s Report card is one measure to validate student progress in mathematics and ELA in the fourth and eighth grades. Results provide useful information on how students are performing within and across states. The assessment serves as a common measure of student achievement nationally.

Complete NAEP results can be found by visiting:  https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/.