The Wyoming Department of Education has released Wyoming’s student assessment test results for the 2012-13 school year reflecting an overall drop compared to last year.

The test known as PAWS assesses students in grades 3-8 for proficiency in English and math. Students in grades 4 and 8 are also tested in science. For the first time in 2012-13 11th grade students took the ACT instead of PAWS. Statewide results for that group showed an increase in achievement. Governor Matt Mead said the lower PAWS results statewide are a cause for concern and require further attention on a number of levels.

The Governor said while locally there are successes we should celebrate and scores that are higher than 2010-11 results, a conclusion on the quality of our schools cannot be drawn from a single year’s results. Just as a single year decline should not be attributed to any single factor, neither should a single year increase.

Mead said at the state level he is working with the Wyoming Department of Education to identify strengths in schools and build on these across the state as well as identify struggling schools and develop plans to assist these districts.  Governor Mead said he will also work with the Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming State Board of Education, Wyoming educators and the Legislature to review the assessment system. Mead said this analysis will review as many options as possible and look at how they stack up against Wyoming’s PAWS test.

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