Now live: 2022-23 state assessment results

14 Nov Now live: 2022-23 state assessment results

By Dale Chu

Fans of Assessment HQ will be pleased to learn that 2022-23 state assessment scores from more than two-thirds of states are now available on the site. With this update, Assessment HQ features three years of post-pandemic results for most states and is the only place to find a clear and comprehensive snapshot of statewide testing data.

Many states have been working feverishly to spin the numbers, but any celebration is premature absent disaggregated student group and participation data—two essential metrics for both honesty and transparency. As it stands, of the 42 states (and D.C.) that have released their data thus far, only 26 are in compliance with federal law. Credit to those twenty-six, but as a whole, that’s simply not good enough.

Compliance under ESSA is nothing to sneeze at because, without Uncle Sam’s guardrails, it’s all too easy for states to juke the stats. Consider the shortcomings outlined in today’s press release:

Seven states and Washington, D.C. have yet to release data that meets ESSA requirements in terms of how scores are reported.

Three states have yet to provide disaggregated data by student groups (Florida, Missouri, and Montana)

Four states and Washington, D.C. have yet to provide data for more than one achievement level (Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Utah)

Fifteen states are not yet reporting comprehensive student participation rates (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin)

As my friend and colleague Chad Aldeman has frequently lamented, states are painfully (and nonchalantly) slow when it comes to releasing their results to say nothing of doing so in a manner that’s fully above board and in line with ESSA. If assessment data are to be actionable, they must be released sooner and be complete upon publication. To be sure, states like Ohio have taken encouraging steps to help speed things up, but even the Buckeye State has fallen short in meeting requirements.

We’ll continue to track and publish statewide assessment results as they’re made available. Fingers crossed that the stragglers quickly get their acts together—a nontrivial ask as schools and districts strive in earnest to guide students back on track. Stay tuned!