By Casey Crow
Staff Writer
State test results were released last Thursday for elementary and middle school science and social studies testing; however, evaluating the performance of students in the Archuleta School District (ASD) is proving to be complex.
According to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), on the state level, the proficiency bar increased by 4.8 points for fourth-grade social studies, by one point in seventh-grade social studies and by 1.2 points in fifth-grade science.
Every district in the state of Colorado saw a decrease in eighth-grade science, with scores dropping by 3.5 points overall.
This is only the second year these particular tests were administered, which complicates the evaluation of scores and what they mean for student growth.
The tests are administered to fourth-, fifth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. The science assessments are required at the federal level, but social studies assessments exist within the state mandate.
Neither of these exams are based on the Common Core State Standards, which only cover language arts and mathematics.
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