CHEYENNE – Results are now available online from the 2017 statewide high school assessments administered to students in grades 9 through 11. The results show similar performance to prior years with statistically insignificant increases in grades 9 and 10, and statistically insignificant decreases in grade 11.
“We have the privilege of offering the ACT to every student and will continue to do so as we add WY-TOPP to our assessment system,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. ”This is not the time to be complacent. At the state level we will continue to focus on every measure for student success and support schools helping students succeed in school and in life.”
In the spring of 2017, students in grades 11 took the ACT, and for the second year, students in grades 9 and 10 took the ACT Aspire online. Schools had the option to offer the ACT online this past spring, marking the first time that option was made available in Wyoming. The tests are intended to predict college readiness. These results will be used to determine school performance ratings.
The Wyoming Department of Education established new performance levels for the ACT in 2014 delineating Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Below Basic performance in the subject area tests. Current results are not directly comparable to years prior to 2014 because they represent a much higher set of expectations for Wyoming students.
Starting in the 2017-18 school year, students will take the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP). The new test will assess proficiency in reading and math for students in grades 3-10, science for students in grades 4, 8, and 10, and writing for students in grades 3, 5, 7, and 9. It will be an online, adaptive assessment with various item types such as multiple choice, technology enhanced, and constructed response. The results will be comparable to students’ scores from other states and will be used for accountability purposes.
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Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053