Test scores show Wake County students bouncing back from pandemic decline
INVESTIGATES SHARES WHAT THEIR
EXPERIENCE WAS ASKED.
RIGHT NOW AT 6 NORTH CAROLINA
TEST SCORES ARE IMPROVING.
NEW DATA OUT TODAY SHOWS BIG
GAINS IN MATH STATEWIDE WITH
PROFICIENCY RATES. NEARLY BACK
TO NORMAL SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
>> 57% OF KIDS IN 3RD TO 8TH
GRADE ARE TESTING ON THEIR
GRADE LEVEL. THAT IS NOT THE
CASE WITH READING NUMBERS.
THERE ARE LAGGING WITH ABOUT
52% OF KIDS IN THAT SAME AGE
GROUP TESTING AT THEIR GRADE
LEVEL. THANKS FOR JOINING US
TONIGHT. I'M ASHLEY ROW AND I'M
GERALD OWENS. MATT SCORES AND
WAKE COUNTY WERE PARTICULARLY
STRONG.
>> SCHOOL LEADERS SAY THE
IMPROVEMENT IS THE RESULT OF
FOCUS STRATEGIES TO HELP
STUDENTS THINK DIFFERENTLY
ABOUT THEIR MATERIAL. THE
BUREAU'S DESTINY. PATTERSON,
EXPLAIN TO WAKE COUNTY MATH.
TEACHERS MADE CHANGES THAT
REALLY PAID OFF.
>> HERE, WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS
RECOVERED FASTER THAN MOST OF
THE REST OF THE STATE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
MATH. MILLBROOK STUDENT JA'MARR
SMITH. I THINK HE WENT UP 30
POINTS, DEFIED THE ODDS AGAINST
HIM. HE WAS PREDICTED ALONG
WITH MANY OTHER STUDENTS NOT TO
BE PROFICIENT, BUT IT WAS AN
EASY TO BEGIN THE YEAR. I
THOUGHT OFF A LITTLE SLOW BUT
STATE TEST SCORES SHOW THAT
STUDENTS LIKE TOMORROW
REBOUNDING FROM THE PANDEMIC'S
DISRUPTIONS TO IN-PERSON
LEARNING. NOW SCORES FOR 3RD
THROUGH 8TH GRADERS FOR BETTER
THAN LAST YEAR. AND EVEN BETTER
THAN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS TAKING MATH
3, THEY DID BETTER THE LAST
YEAR FOR 3RD THROUGH 8TH
GRADERS, THOUGH, WHEN IT COMES
TO READING THEY DID BETTER THAN
LAST YEAR. BUT THEY HAVEN'T
FULLY REBOUNDED SINCE THE
PANDEMIC TAKING A LOOK AT HIGH
SCHOOL ENGLISH. THEIR SCORES
DROPPED SLIGHTLY, BUT THEY
STILL SURPASSED WHERE THEY WERE
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. LET'S TAKE
A LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS
ABOUT 66% OF ELEMENTARY AND
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TESTED
AT GRADE LEVEL FOR MATH.
THAT'S A SLIGHT INCREASE
COMPARED TO 2018 AT THE HIGH
SCHOOL LEVEL. MORE THAN AT 3
STUDENTS TESTED AT GRADE LEVEL.
THAT'S UP FROM 60% THE YEAR
BEFORE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE
START TOMORROW IS MATH. TEACHER
SAYS SHE MADE SOME VERY
INTENTIONAL CHANGES AFTER NOT
QUITE SEEING THE GROWTH.
THEY WERE HOPING FOR A COUPLE
YEARS AGO. WE WORK TOMORROW
WITH FACILITATING INSPIRING
THESE STUDENTS TOO. COME UP
WITH THE ANSWERS ON THEIR OWN
AND WORK TOGETHER IN GROUPS AND
CENTER. JUST MAKING THEM
MEMORIZE EVERYTHING.
>> TAKING AWAY DISTRACTIONS
ALSO HELPED. I HAVE
INCORPORATED THE PHONE HOME.
IT'S GREAT AND NOT SPENDING SO
MUCH TIME, YOU KNOW, ON
INSTAGRAM OR SNAPCHAT OR, YOU
KNOW, JUST BEING DISTRACTED BY
THE CONSTANT.
>> VIBRATING AND BEEPING
CATCHING UP WITH READING IS
A STATEWIDE CONVERSATIONS TO
THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS
THAT THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED NEW
READING TECHNIQUES AND THEY
HELD AT THE STATE TEST SCORES
START TO REFLECT THAT NEXT
YEAR.
>> DESTINY. PATTERSON, WRAL,
NEWS, WAKE COUNTY.
>> YOU'LL FIND OUR EXTENSIVE
REPORTING ON STATE TEST SCORES
ON WRAL DOT COM. YOU'LL FIND A
BREAKDOWN OF HOW YOUR CHILD'S
SCHOOL PERFORM THIS YEAR.
YOU CAN ALSO COMPARE PROBABLY
GET PROGRESS ACROSS COUNTIES
AND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL