The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) released West Virginia’s Balanced Scorecard (Balanced Scorecard) results for the 2023-24 school year during the September meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE). The data represents the accountability ratings for public schools in the Mountain State as part of West Virginia’s School Accountability System (WVSAS).
Each public school in the state receives a scorecard that measures student progress across multiple indicators. The Balanced Scorecard provides annual updates to families, communities and stakeholders on district and school performance.
According to the 2023-24 school year data, 36 districts in the state improved in mathematics and 46 districts made gains in English language arts proficiency. Additionally, 55 districts experienced a smaller percentage of students being chronically absent, and 26 districts suspended fewer students for minor infractions.
“Our educators and districts are working diligently to support student achievement and school success,” said State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt. “Key indicators are trending in a positive direction thanks to our combined efforts and recent legislation addressing literacy, numeracy, student discipline and attendance. Challenges remain, and we will continue to work with partners to ensure we provide the best support possible for our students, educators, schools and districts.”
For more information and district- and school-level data, visit the Balanced Scorecard Dashboard at https://wveis.k12.wv.us/essa/dashboard.html?year=2024.
Career Technical Education Assessments:
The WVDE Office of Career Technical Education presented data from the 2023-24 NOCTI assessments. This third-party exam is administered to students across the 16 career clusters to evaluate competency as well as workplace readiness.
Last school year, CTE students achieved a 64% passage rate on the NOCTI exam, with students in several areas having higher rates including Education at 98%, Health Sciences at 92% and STEM at 87%.
Homeschool Assessments:
The WVDE also updated the WVBE on the 2023-2024 assessments for West Virginia’s homeschooled students. Once a child is moved to homeschool, West Virginia code requires the family/guardian to submit an assessment or portfolio of the child’s work by June 30 following their 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th grade year. The assessment can be the West Virginia General Summative Assessment, one of the family’s choosing that meets the policy requirements, or it can be a sample of the child’s work that is reviewed/assessed by a certified teacher.
Last school year, 57.7% of the homeschooled students presumed to be in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 submitted assessments by the June 30 deadline. This is an increase from the 37.1% submission rate from previous years.
Chronic Absenteeism Challenge:
Superintendent Blatt, in collaboration with 13 state education leaders across the country, is taking a stand to cut chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years. The effort is a part of the 50% Challenge initiative and will be among the WVDE’s collaborative approaches to increase student success.
West Virginia’s chronic absenteeism rate for full academic year public school students last year was 23.5% which is down from 27.6% in the 2022-23 school year. It is an urgent issue across the country that peaked during the Covid-19 pandemic and remains elevated. If not addressed, chronic absenteeism can have long-term impacts on students, families and the state’s economic health.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing more than 10% of school days for any reason. Data shows a decrease in the achievement scores of chronically absent students. The most profound effects of chronic absenteeism are seen in low-income communities and communities of color.
More than 9 million students across 14 states could be affected by the 50% Challenge which was initiated by a partnership between Attendance Works, EdTrust and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
WVBE Policies on Public Comment:
There were no policies placed on public comment during the September meeting.
The next regularly scheduled WVBE meeting is 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Building 6, Suite 600, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia, 25305.
