CORRECTION: A previous version of this story used outdated figures to determine whether ISAT scores met state goals. This year’s scores in ELA and math did not meet the state’s targets.
Idaho students’ English and math achievement scores were stagnant last school year, and they barely fell short of state goals.
The Idaho Department of Education (IDE) Tuesday released standardized test results for 2024-25. Each spring, public school students in third through eighth grade and 11th grade take tests measuring English language arts (ELA) and math proficiency. Fifth-, eighth- and 11th-graders take the science assessment.
This year’s results showed that 53.2% of test-takers were proficient in ELA, 42.3% were proficient in math and 41.7% were proficient in science. None of the statewide scores changed by more than half a percentage point from last year.
“Seeing Idaho students hold steady when it comes to this year’s assessment areas is both a source of confidence and a definite opportunity to look ahead to ensure that our students are prepared for their futures now and beyond K-12 education,” state superintendent Debbie Critchfield said in a news release Tuesday.
Click here to see a list of ELA proficiency scores from each school district and charter school. Click here for math scores.
The scores narrowly missed the state’s targets for ELA and math, which were lowered last year. State goals this year were 53.6% proficiency in ELA and 42.6% in math. Previously, the targets were 68.7% and 61.1%, respectively.
Critchfield pointed to a few bright spots among specific demographics, however. Students from low-income households saw scores improve in all subject areas. ELA scores were up five percentage points among students in foster care. And students with connections to the military saw math gains.
“Continued focus on investing in areas that directly impact student achievement is our key goal,” Critchfield said in the news release.
Still, this year’s results show that just over half of public school students are proficient in English and most lack proficiency in math.
Standardized test scores do not affect a student’s grades. They’re meant to measure achievement in the state’s content standards. Parents, educators and policymakers also use the scores as a yardstick for how well K-12 public schools are performing.
Republican lawmakers in recent years have pointed to static test scores to justify their opposition to additional investments in public schools. K-12 state funding has doubled over the last decade, but it hasn’t resulted in better scores.
The latest results come as state leaders weigh possible changes to standardized testing. Critchfield, a Republican, has proposed dropping the ELA test for third graders, who already take the Idaho Reading Indicator, the state’s literacy screener. And she has floated different types of high school exams that align with career pathways.
“We want our students taking the most meaningful assessments, aligned with their future learning and post-graduation goals,” she said in Tuesday’s news release.
Idaho Education News will have additional coverage of ISAT scores, including standouts among individual schools and districts, in the coming days.
EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report.