Missouri test scores: Student achievement fails to rebound to pre-pandemic levels

Missouri students made slight gains in select areas but overall fell short of performing at pre-pandemic levels, according to the preliminary 2021-22 state test scores released Tuesday.

The annual report presented to the state Board of Education provided preliminary results for state-mandated exams given last year in reading, math, science and social studies.

Detailed reports, showing results by district, will be released in December.

"These tests help us create an overall picture of the health of our education system across the state and also help us get to those accountability measures, which help us look at performance at the (district) and the building level," said Lisa Sireno, assistant commissioner for the Office of Quality Schools in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Sireno said the state results, in combination with local measures, provide insight into how students are meeting expectations.

Compared to the prior year, proficiency levels in math and science increased in all grade levels and courses, although the gains were often slight.

Proficiency levels in English language arts, or reading, declined except for in fifth grade and English I.

What percentage of Missouri students are proficient in math, science?

Students are tested annually in grades 3-8, in key academic subjects, and end-of-course exams are given at the high school level.

The percentage of Missouri students who scored proficient or advanced — meaning at or above grade level — for the 2021-22 year showed:

• 43 percent — English language arts, or reading
• 40 percent — Social studies
• 39 percent — Math
• 38 percent — Science

The results showed more than half of students tested in each academic area scored at the basic level, which means they require additional support to perform at grade level, or below basic, meaning they are a year or more behind peers.

Margie Vandeven, commissioner of education, said the pandemic continued to create challenges during the past school year, which is reflected in the results.

“Nothing about this past school year was typical," she said, in a news release. "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.”

In the Tuesday meeting, Vandeven said the state has repeatedly been asked which students were the most significantly impacted by the pandemic and who needs the most support and resources from the state.

"There is impact. We have to be clear about that," she said.

Vandeven said teachers and school leaders have reported that last year, in many ways, was more challenging than the prior year.

"There were multiple substitutes ... There were building closures throughout the year for different periods of time. There were extended absences for children due to a variety of reasons but attendance has been down," she said. "There was a lot of shifting around so we can see that in the data."

DESE was asked to provide more specifics about what types of academic help they are providing to groups that were the hardest hit by last year's disruptions.

Vandeven said despite the overall impact, Missouri fared fairly well compared to other states.

"When you look at what other states are seeing in their growth and their expected instructional loss, it is much more significant that what we are seeing in Missouri," she said. "That is largely due, I believe ... to those schools that were able to keep their doors open."

She added: "Students who did not have access to in-person learning, it is just clear that we have some makeup to do there."

Teachers "'ready for recovery"

Vandeven said teachers are inspired for the upcoming year and "ready for recovery."

"Last year they were not quite into recovery. They were still into response mode," she said. "Now we are into thinking about how do we move forward."

Shaun Bates, the standards, curriculum and assessment coordinator for DESE, said the pandemic continued to impact learning during the 2021-22 year. He offered key findings in the preliminary data.

• In general, math experienced a greater loss of instructional time compared to ELA, or reading;
• In reading and math, the earliest grades were affected more significantly by the loss of instructional time;
• Students who learned in person, or in hybrid learning environments, were affected less by lost instructional time;
• Specific groups of students were more impacted by lost instructional time in the past year, which varied slightly by academic area.

Bates said districts in all parts of the state are hamstrung trying to find qualified staff and work through the logistics of busing and operating expenses.

"Many of our districts are starting to look at four-day weeks," he said. 

He said the state continues to research the impact of the pandemic and look at ways to best respond, including:

• Providing evidence-based training for teachers in reading and math;
• Improving teacher recruitment and retention;
• Helping students access mental health support.

Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.