Missouri students' test scores improve, but still not on par with pre-pandemic years

Emily Younker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·3 min read

Aug. 17—Missouri students showed some academic improvement on their grade-level and end-of-course assessments in 2021-22, but overall proficiency rates still fell short of pre-pandemic levels.

That's according to preliminary statewide assessment data for the 2021-22 academic year, released Tuesday by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The results represent data from required assessments, including English language arts and math for the third through eighth grades, science for the fifth and eighth grades, and English II, algebra, biology and government at the high school level.

In general:

—In English language arts, 43% of students scored at the advanced or proficient levels, according to the data. That compares with 45% in 2020-21.

—In math, 39% of students scored at the advanced or proficient levels. That compares with 35% in 2020-21.

—In science, 38% of students scored at the advanced or proficient levels. That compares with 37% in 2020-21.

But nearly every grade level tested in 2022 hasn't returned to the proficiency rates seen in 2018, well before the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and sent students home for virtual lessons.

For example, the percentage of sixth grade students who scored at the advanced or proficient levels in English language arts has steadily fallen for four years, from 48% in 2018 to 39% in 2022, according to state data. Some drop-offs haven't been as steep: The percentage of high school students scoring at the advanced or proficient levels in English II dipped from 57% in 2018 to 54% in 2022, the data shows.

Only a handful of students in certain subjects, such as sixth grade and eighth grade testers in math, showed improvement over 2018 results.

Students in certain demographic groups also haven't returned to pre-pandemic proficiency rates, state education officials said.

Across all content areas and grades, students eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches, a measure often used as an indicator of poverty, dropped from 32% at advanced or proficient levels in 2018 to 27% in 2022, according to the data. Students with an individualized education program dropped from 16% at advanced or proficient levels in 2018 to 13% in 2022. English language learners dropped from 30% at advanced or proficient levels in 2018 to 25% in 2022.

Divided by race, students in every demographic group — white, Black, Hispanic, multiracial, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian — dropped in proficiency between 2018 and 2022, although each of those groups remained stable or made academic gains this year over 2021, the data shows.

State education officials, in presenting the data Tuesday to the Missouri Board of Education, said COVID-19 pandemic learning disruptions, such as quarantines and chronic absenteeism, continued to plague both students and staff during the 2021-22 year, possibly contributing to the overall performance on state tests.

"Districts and charter schools across the state continued to face unique challenges during the 2021-22 school year while working hard to focus on the well-being and academic success of students," said Margie Vandeven, the education commissioner, in a statement. "Nothing about this past school year was typical. We must remain vigilant in educating our students, and I urge everyone to review the data through an informational lens, using these key takeaways to shape how state and local resources are best deployed to support ongoing student success."