The New York state Education Department recently published preliminary test scores for third through eighth graders.
Results from math and English language arts tests show that about half of students are proficient for their grade level. Science testing was limited to fifth and eighth grades.
Scores trended about even with those from the prior school year, with some improvements.
Science scores for fifth and eighth graders increased nearly 10 percentage points from the prior school year. However, the overall proficiency rate is still low. About a third of students demonstrated grade-level proficiency in the 2023-24 school year. This past year, that number was 44%.
Across the state, nearly 60% of fifth graders were considered proficient in English language arts based on their test scores. That is the largest improvement for that subject across all grades tested with an increase of 13 percentage points compared to the 2023-24 school year.
In a statement, the department said the assessment results are meant to inform decisions on instruction and individual learning plans going into the 2025-26 school year.
The yearly tests are required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002.
Local school districts are now tasked with reviewing scores before the data is finalized. That process closes on September 3. Those final numbers are expected to be released to the public in early November, according to the state Education Department.
