Report: WCPS literacy, math, English scores have plummeted this year

The numbers are in, and they are not good.

Acting Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Carol Artis brought more statistics to Monday’s meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education on how the district’s students are performing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bottom line: more students are failing core classes in every grade level and literacy proficiency rates for the youngest students are not even close to the state’s benchmark.

Here is what the data shows:

Star Early Literacy Proficiency (K-2)

In the fall, only 34.85 percent of WCPS’ K-2 students met the state’s benchmark. That number has climbed to 43.3 percent, which board member Wade Leatham characterized as “not that great.”

“I’m a glass half full kind of girl,” Artis replied. “So, when I see us in a COVID situation, AA/BB schedule and I see the students who would be the most challenged in an AA/BB schedule gain almost 10 percentage points, I’m more encouraged than I am discouraged.”

Here is the data from each school (Carver Heights does not have K-2 and, therefore, has no data):

Star Reading (3-8)

With roughly 12 weeks remaining in the school year, only 50.2% of WCPS third- through eighth-graders have met the state reading proficiency benchmark.

Here is the data from each school:

Star Math (3-8)

WCPS’ math proficiency scores are some 10 percentage points lower than in reading, with just under 40 percent of third- through eighth-graders meeting the state’s benchmark thus far.

Here is the data from each school:

Middle School English and math

The drop from last year in the percentage of students passing is striking for the county’s middle schools, with several reporting more than 30 percent fewer students passing English or math.

Some of the percentages include:

MATH

• Brogden Middle School: 58.59 percent passing in 2020-21 versus 86.26 percent passing in 2019-20.

• Eastern Wayne Middle School: 40.94 percent versus 87.50 percent.

• Grantham Middle School: 72.38 percent versus 93.28 percent.

• Greenwood Middle School: 82.15 percent versus 95.16 percent.

• Mount Olive Middle School: 78.97 percent versus 99.48 percent.

• Norwayne Middle School: 84.69 percent versus 93.39 percent.

• Rosewood Middle School: 79.01 percent versus 92.46 percent.

• Spring Creek Middle School: 74.66 percent versus 93.81 percent.

ENGLISH

• Brogden Middle School: 51.62 percent virus 89.64 percent.

• Eastern Wayne Middle School: 64.67 percent versus 95.91 percent.

• Grantham Middle School: 67.96 percent versus 98.45 percent.

• Greenwood Middle School: 66.85 percent versus 92.07 percent.

• Mount Olive Middle School: 71.24 percent versus 98.97 percent.

• Norwayne Middle School: 85.47 percent versus 95.49 percent.

• Rosewood Middle School: 72.84 percent versus 96.31 percent.

• Spring Creek Middle School: 68.21 percent versus 95.94 percent.

High schools

Artis also reported statistics from the high schools, although board member Jennifer Strickland has asked for additional information specific to English and math.

Monday, Artis reported that 95 percent of high school courses were passed in 2019-20 vs. 79 percent of courses passed during the first semester of 2020-21. The data was not broken down by school.