Writing Skills Up, But 4th-Graders Lag Improvement In The 3 Classes Tested, But Youngest Disappoint

Scores from statewide tests for writing skills show Idaho public school students are doing better, but the fourth-grade performance remains a concern.

Superintendent Anne Fox said Wednesday results from this year’s testing of fourth-, eighth- and 11th-grade students show an increase at all levels in the number of students who are proficient writers.

But fourth grade remains a problem.

The Idaho State Direct Writing tests showed only 26 percent writing at an acceptable level.

Statewide tests were given in February. Math tests also were given, but Fox said results will not be released and districts have been ordered to discard the results because the tests were flawed.

School officials said the math tests, which are revised every year to prevent students from passing on answers, this year improperly asked students questions about concepts they had not been taught yet. The concepts, such as fractions for fourth-graders, were taught later in the school year but not early in the year when the tests were given.

“After review, we decided the test information would not accurately show what Idaho students know and are able to do in math and therefore would not serve teachers and students with valuable information,” Fox said.

The Direct Writing Assessment was given to fourth-, eighth- and 11th-grade students in February.

A total of 16,259 fourth-graders took the test, the second year the test has been given.

In the eighth grade, 17,708 students were tested along with 16,264 eleventh-graders.

Fox said last year, 19 percent of the fourth-graders were proficient in writing; this year it was 26 percent.

In the eighth grade, 43 percent were proficient compared with 36 percent last year.

The 11-graders showed 79 percent were proficient in basic writing skills, compared to 71 percent the year before.

“We are pleased that school districts are focusing on basic skills and students are mastering the information in the later grades,” Fox said.

“The area that concerns me is the fourth-grade assessment, where only 26 percent of Idaho students are writing at an acceptable level.

“Now that we have two years of data, we know we need to continue our focus on writing in the elementary grades,” she said.

All assessments are based on a 4-point scale, with a rating of 3 and above considered proficient. A rating of 2 is considered minimally proficient, indicating that students are not where they should be for their grade level.

A rating of 1 indicates students are struggling with all the concepts of writing and need remedial help to reach grade level proficiency.