The Wyoming Department of Education has released results for the 2023–24 Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) and Wyoming Alternate Assessment (WY-ALT). View complete assessment data and district by district snapshots by content area and grade. A Parents & Community Members Overview has also been created to outline the assessment process and additional current results.
Although Wyoming was the first state in the nation to have students return to classrooms and was only one of seven states to achieve 95% assessment participation in 2021, scores haven’t yet returned to pre-COVID levels. However, unlike many states, Wyoming has resisted the trend to change performance levels and has maintained the high rigor of previous assessments to properly gauge student learning. This approach allows educators and parents to have accurate data to show if students have recovered from the COVID lockdowns.
“While I’m disappointed that our assessment scores have not yet caught up to pre-pandemic levels, I am proud that we have not lowered the proficiency bar like other states. In Wyoming, we will unabashedly hold our standards high and push for excellence. These scores also demonstrate the need to innovate, to rethink our education system and how we instruct students. We must make change, and I am confident that our recently launched initiatives and pilot projects that so many districts have embraced, will absolutely do that”, said State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder.
Wyoming’s 2023–24 assessment results were relatively stable compared to last year and remained below the pre-pandemic levels by about 1-2%. Compared to last year, student proficiency decreased by 0.2% in English Language Arts and by 0.3% in Science, but both have remained steady since 2021. Math proficiency increased by 0.5% and has been steadily increasing since 2021.
Statewide Proficiency Annual Comparison
Washakie County School District #2, Ten Sleep K-12 School excelled with top proficiency in all three content areas for a small district with 83.1% in ELA, 76.1% in Math, and 100% in Science. This represented double digit percentage growth across all areas.
“Ten Sleep students and staff are some of the best in the state– not only WY-TOPP achievement, but ACT as well. Our students are given many opportunities to explore and achieve their dreams through our CTE programming, Project Based Learning Initiatives, as well as our focus on literacy”, said Annie Griffin, Washakie County School District #1 Superintendent. “We are proud of our high achievement, but most impressed with the growth our students and staff have made over the last couple of years. There is never a secret formula for success, it is based on strong relationships and a true desire to see each unique child live our school mantra, which is ‘learning to live our dreams’.”
Also notable, Park County School District #1 in Powell scored top proficiency in two content areas for a large district, 70.1% in Math and 60.6% in Science. Westside Elementary saw proficiency of 74% in ELA and 76.1% in Math, and Powell Middle School achieved 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 outcomes 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 achievement levels. Every day Westside educators are excited and push themselves to deliver new, innovative, responsive, and high-quality lessons that promote advanced levels of critical-thinking and problem-solving. The secret to our students’ success, though, is a caring, collaborative school culture where everyone belongs and each individual is valued and celebrated for their perseverance and compassion for others.”
The WY-TOPP assessment began in 2017–18. In the spring of 2020, school districts received a waiver allowing them to forgo assessment, therefore no data was produced.
