CHEYENNE – Proficiency rates among Wyoming elementary and middle school students remained stable during the 2023-2024 school year, according to the state Department of Education.
Although scores on state standardized tests have yet to return to pre-COVID levels, state officials said stable scores are still a good sign of progress.
Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder released the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) and Wyoming Alternate Assessment (WY-ALT) on Wednesday.
Results were stable compared to last year, but remained about 1-2 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels. Students’ language proficiency declined by 0.2 percentage points in English language arts and by 0.3 percentage points in science. Proficiency in mathematics has increased by 0.5 percentage points and mathematics proficiency has increased since 2021.
“While I am disappointed that our assessment scores have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, I am proud that we have not lowered the proficiency bar as in other states,” Degenfelder said in a news release. “In Wyoming, we will unapologetically hold our standards high and strive for excellence.
“These scores also demonstrate the need to innovate, to rethink our education system and the way we teach students. We need to make change happen, and I am confident that our recently launched initiatives and pilot projects that so many districts have embraced will absolutely make that happen.”
According to the release, enforcing standards allows teachers and parents to have accurate data showing whether students have recovered from the pandemic. Degenfelder reiterated her call to action from last year, saying, “We must do better, and we will do better.”
“We keep our standards high and we will never artificially inflate our scores, regardless of the circumstances,” Degenfelder said. “Our students deserve better than that, and we will always recognize where our areas for improvement lie.”
Over the past year, Degenfelder said she has challenged Wyoming’s education system to think more about student-centered learning and get back to basics.
During a news conference Wednesday, she emphasized partnerships with business and industry. WDE has launched multiple pilot programs with partners including the Governor’s Office, the University of Wyoming, the State Board of Education, the Wyoming Association of School Administrators and the Wyoming Community College Commission.
These programs include competency-based learning, project-based learning, work-based learning, and expanded opportunities for career, technical education, and principal leadership training.
“Many of our school districts across the state have embraced these efforts,” Degenfelder said. “I wholeheartedly believe that reorienting our education system towards individualized learning and vocational training pathways will help return our assessment scores to pre-pandemic levels.”
Top performers
Some schools stood out in their ratings. Washakie County School District 2’s Ten Sleep K-12 School particularly excelled.
Ten Sleep, the district’s only school, was top in proficiency in all three content areas, with 83.1% proficiency in ELA, 76.1% in math and 100% in science. The small district’s successes represented double-digit percentage growth in all areas.
“Ten Sleep students and staff are among the best in the state – not only WY-TOPP performance, but ACT as well. Our students have many opportunities to explore and achieve their dreams through our CTE programming, project-based learning initiatives and our focus on literacy,” said WCSD2 Superintendent Annie Griffin. “We are proud of our high performance, but most impressed by the growth our students and staff have experienced in recent years. There is never a secret formula for success, it is based on strong relationships and a genuine desire to see each unique child live our school mantra of ‘Learning to Live Our Dreams’.”
On Wednesday, as the school was recognized at the WDE press conference, Griffin took time to recognize students watching the press conference from the Ten Sleep gym.
“Stand strong, knowing that today you are recognized as the best in the state,” Griffin said. “Know that your efforts matter. You are creating a bright future for yourselves. You showed the state of Wyoming what ten Sleep students stand for and put us on the map. We couldn’t be more proud of all your achievements.”
Park County School District 1 in Powell also produced notable scores. PCSD1 ranked top in two content areas for a large district, scoring a proficiency of 70.1% in math and 60.6% in science.
Westside Elementary in PCSD1 scored 74% proficiency in ELA and 76.1% in math. Powell Middle School students performed well, with an ELA proficiency of 74.6% and a math proficiency of 69%.
“Westside students and staff are truly ‘the best in the West,’” said Westside Principal Angela Woyak. “The 2023-24 WY-TOPP results are a testament to our collective belief that ALL students can learn and succeed, and that together we can inspire them to grow to the very highest levels of achievement.”
According to WDE Chief Communications Officer Linda Finnerty, Wyoming typically sees numbers around the 50% proficiency mark in all three content areas.
“Every day, Westside teachers are excited and pushing themselves to deliver new, innovative, responsive and high-quality lessons that promote advanced levels of critical thinking and problem solving,” said Woyak. “However, the secret to our students’ success is a caring, collaborative school culture where everyone belongs and each individual is valued and celebrated for their perseverance and compassion for others.”
Although the past three years have seen an increase in ACT composite scores across the state, Wyoming still remains below the national average.
“We continue to promote and push both our ACT and WorkKeys programs that we offer at the state, and those results will be announced for this year after the October 16 embargo,” WDE Assessment Supervisor Rebecca Veilkaneye told the media. “There are no other programs being pushed statewide. However, many districts and many schools are making these efforts on their own, and it shows in their work.”
WDE also noted that not all states require all students to take the ACT, meaning the national average is not necessarily a fair standard to compare Wyoming to.
