Iowa students with disabilities and English language learners continue to lag behind their peers in English language arts and mathematics new spring 2024 state assessment data shows.
The 2024 spring Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress or ISASP results showed “modest long-term progress” in English language arts, according to an Iowa Department of Education news release Friday afternoon. Mathematics scores remain steady but “do not show meaningful progress in most grade levels.”
Overall, state officials say the 2024 ISASP results show student achievement is beginning to reach or surpass prepandemic numbers for both topics.
The yearly assessments focus on math, science and English language arts, and are given to students in third through eighth grades. Students in ninth, 10th and 11th grades also take some of the assessments.
The state did not provide an overview for how students are faring in science.
From 2023: Iowa statewide test scores stagnant overall but show lingering gaps among low-income kids
Currently, there is a statewide effort to improve student proficiency, the release states. These efforts include the Iowa Board of Education adopting “new academic standards for mathematics in April and new academic standards in English language arts in June.”
During the recent 2024 legislative session, lawmakers also passed a law that aims to improve literacy around the state.
Related: Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law to raise Iowa students’ lagging literacy. The classroom impact:
The state Department of Education also held dozens of professional learning sessions to help thousands of school math and English language arts teachers implement the new standards ahead of the 2024-25 school year, the release states.
âWe celebrate the successes of our learners, and we continue to work in partnership with families and educators to provide all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential,â Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a statement. âInformed by our student achievement data, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening early literacy and narrowing and closing achievement gaps experienced by students with disabilities and students who are English language learners.â
Check out the Iowa Department of Education’s website for more information.
How are Iowa students doing in English language arts?
Statewide, seventh and ninth grade students are the only grades to show real growth in English language arts, according to the news release.
Ninth grade students gained 4 percentage points going from 70% in 2023 to 74%, according to state data. Seventh grade students scored 77% proficiency on the 2024 spring, up from 74% in 2023.
Fourth and 10th grade students held steady at 73% proficiency. Fifth grade students scored 69% proficiency for the second year.
Sixth through eighth grade students have gained “between 7 and 8 percentage points” since 2019, according to the state’s news release. Third grade students were the only group to lose ground between 2023 and 2024, dropping from 66% proficient to 64%.
The 2024 statewide numbers for students with disabilities shows they lag behind their peers an average of 45 percentage points in English language arts, according to the news release.
Eleventh grade students with disabilities were 20% proficient in the subject while statewide eleventh graders were 70%, according to the data. Third grade students with disabilities scored 24%,, fifth grade students with disabilities were 23% proficient, ninth graders with disabilities were 28% proficient compared to 74% of students statewide, and 10th grade students with disabilities came in at 25% and students in the same grade statewide were 73%.
Eighth grade students with disabilities were the most proficient at 32% and statewide students were 77% proficient.
The state found English language learners lagged 53 percentage points behind their peers. Eleventh grade students only scored 13% proficient. Ninth and 10th grade English language learners were 15% proficient.
Related: Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law to raise Iowa students’ lagging literacy. The classroom impact:
How are Iowa students faring in math?
Mathematics proficiency increased in third, sixth and eighth grades, the release states. Third grade students saw the biggest percentage gain of 5 percentage points since 2019.
Statewide, third grade students held on to the 76% proficiency rating in mathematics from 2023 and fifth grade students maintained 71% proficiency from 2023 to 2024. Eighth grade students went from 72% proficient in 2023 to 73% in 2024.
Fourth, 10th and 11th grade students saw slight decreases in proficiency. Fourth graders went from 73% in 2023 to 72%. Tenth and 11th grade students each lost a point from 2023 to 2024. Tenth grade students scored a 65% and 11th graders were 66% proficient on the most recent assessment.
The average proficiency gap in mathematics for students with disabilities was 41 percentage points, according to the state.
Third grade students with disabilities were the most proficient at 45%. Students in ninth and 11th grade scored the lowest at 17%.
English language learners lagged behind their peers by about 45 percentage points, according to the department’s news release. Third grade English learners were the most proficient in math at 40%. Ninth grade students were the least proficient at 12%. Tenth and 11th students were only 17% proficient.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Some Iowa students lag behind on 2024 spring assessment
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