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WVA Student Outcomes

WVA Makes News Again for Outperforming in State Testing 

According to local news, "Morgantown-based West Virginia Academy and Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy in Kearneysville outperformed the statewide proficiency rates for public schools, while public schools outperformed the West Virginia Virtual Academy and Virtual Preparatory Academy."

Math:

"According to the results calculated across all grades for the prior school year, the math proficiency rate for the West Virginia Academy was 40% for the 2023-2024 school year, up from 28% for the 2022-2023 school year. For public schools, 36% of students tested were proficient in math last school year, up from 35% in the 2022-23 school."

English Language Arts:

"In ELA, the West Virginia Academy had a proficiency rating for the 2023-2024 school year of 55%, up from 47% in the 2022-2023 school year. ELA proficiency in public schools last school year was at 45%, up from 44% in 2022-23."

WVA Standardized Testing

National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) 

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Subject(s) Assessed

In 2024, Mathematics, Reading, Science in grades 4, 8, and 12

Other subjects on schedule:  Civics, U.S. History, Technology and Engineering, and Writing

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The NAEP informs the public about what American students know and can do in various subject areas and compares achievement among states, large urban districts, and various student groups.  The NAEP is a national assessment administered through a scientific sampling process which means that only a representative sample of selected students in selected schools take this assessment. 

 

Requirement for the Assessment

Federal:  Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015

State:  West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

Total time is about 2 hours

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

Mathematics and Reading are assessed once every other year.  Science and Writing are generally administered once every four (4) years.  The National Assessment Governing Board determines the NAEP assessment schedule including the grades and subjects tested each year. The current schedule can be found on their website at Assessment Schedule (nagb.gov). The NAEP assessment window is defined in federal law as the six-week period from the last week of January to the first week of March each year. Each sampled school is assigned a single assessment day during the six-week window.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

The National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics release the national and state level reading and mathematics results via a website in the fall following the assessment administration.  Only national level science results will be released.

West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA)

 

Subject(s) Assessed

English language arts (ELA), including writing, and mathematics in Grades 3-8 at grade level;

Science in Grades 5 and 8 as grade-band tests.

 

Purpose of the Assessment

This assessment measures student performance on the state’s content standards. The results give students, teachers, and families meaningful information on what students know and can do, and how well they are progressing toward college and career readiness.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015

State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The WVGSA is an untimed test that takes approximately 2 hours for each content test session. The ELA test consists of two sessions, including one session that consists of an extended writing task.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

The WVGSA is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each county then determines a county-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district.

For spring 2025, the statewide testing window April 7-May 23, 2025.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

Testing results start appearing in the Cambium Reporting System on a rolling basis at the end of April. Scores for ELA, math, and science should appear very soon after a test is completed. County and school personnel can access these results and analyze data at the county and school level. Parents will have access to individual student results in an online family portal.

West Virginia Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA), also known as the Dynamic Learning Maps

 

Alternate Summative Assessment Subject(s) Assessed

English language arts (ELA) and Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 11, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11.

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The WVASA is a summative measure of student academic performance based on the West Virginia Alternate Academic Achievement Standards administered to students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 who have the most significant cognitive disabilities.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015

State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The WVASA is an untimed series of testlets averaging 3-5 minutes per testlet, with 7-9 testlets per subject area.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

The Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA) is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each county then determines a county-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district. For spring 2025, the statewide testing window is April 7–May 16, 2025.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of ResultsDLM releases scores to the state in July. Schools and teachers can access scores in August. Individual student reports are provided in August each year to send home to parents/guardians.

SAT School Day

 

Subject(s) Assessed

Grade 11 students take the following test components: Reading/Writing Test and Math Test, including science-related items that produce a science score.

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The SAT School Day is a nationally recognized college- and career-readiness assessment administered by the College Board and is accepted at colleges and universities throughout West Virginia and the nation for both college admissions and placement. SAT School Day also can be used to qualify for the Promise Scholarship. It is administered online.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015

State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

Total time is 2 hours and 14 minutes for the Reading/Writing Test and Math Test, with science items included.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

For spring 2025, the statewide testing window will be April 1-April 25, 2025.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

Student scores are available to students in the College Board’s Electronic Reporting System approximately three weeks after the completion of testing. Counties and schools have access to test results in late May.

English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)/Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt-ELPA)

 

Subject(s) Assessed

4 Domains of English Language Proficiency – Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading in Grades K-12

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The ELPA21 is a summative English Language Proficiency assessment to measure identified domains of English proficiency for students identified as English Learners in Grades K-12.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

Federal: Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015.

State: West Virginia Constitution, Article XII, §18-2E-2, and West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2340 West Virginia Measures of Academic Progress

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

ELPA21 is an untimed assessment and approximate test time for all 4 domains varies by grade levels as follows: grades K-1 about 69 minutes; grades 2-3 about 63 minutes; grades 4-5 about 91 minutes; grades 6-8 about 128 minutes; and grades 9-12 about 155 minutes

 

The ELPA21 is administered in the spring of each year. The state establishes a statewide testing window, and each district then determines a district-wide testing window and a testing schedule for each school within the district. For spring 2025, the statewide testing window is February 4, 2025 - March 14, 2025.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

Individual Student Results will be available to the district by mid-May 2025. The district will print the reports and provide them to parents by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

WVA State Testing

Golden Horseshoe

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Subject(s) Assessed

Middle school history 

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The social studies middle school testing requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of social studies content using the Golden Horseshoe exam.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative middle school social studies assessment.

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The Golden Horseshoe exam is untimed and takes 45 minutes to one hour to complete.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

The Golden Horseshoe exam is administered in a two-week timeframe in February and March.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

The Golden Horseshoe results are reported directly to the county superintendent and county contact for local dissemination. The results are reported after the state Golden Horseshoe ceremony in June of each year.

State-Required Social Studies Assessments – High School U.S. History

 

Subject(s) Assessed

High School U.S. History

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The U.S. Studies test requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of U.S. History while in high school.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative US History exam to be taken at the end of their last US history course (AP U.S. History, U.S. Comprehensive, or Contemporary Studies).

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The U.S. History exam is untimed and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

The U.S. history exam is administered at the end of AP U.S. History, U.S. Comprehensive, or Contemporary Studies. In a block schedule, this would be in January-December. For a period schedule, the exam is administered April-June. These exams take place within the regularly scheduled course.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

The U.S. History results are reported in the online Social Studies Assessment Monitoring tool accessed by county superintendents, directors, and school principals. Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students from the portal.

State-Required Social Studies Assessments – High School Civics

 

Subject(s) Assessed

High School Civics

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The civics test requirement is a cumulative assessment of students’ knowledge of civics while in high school.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

W.Va. Code §18-2-9 requires the administration of a cumulative civics exam. The civics exam also meets the citizenship test requirement of the same code.

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The civics exam is untimed and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

The civics exam is administered at the end of the civics course. In a block schedule, this would be in January-December. For a period schedule, the exam is administered April-June. These exams take place within the regular scheduled course.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

The civics exam results are reported in the online Social Studies Assessment Monitoring tool accessed by county superintendents, directors, and school principals. Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students from the portal.

FitnessGram®

 

Subject(s) Assessed

Physical Education

 

Purpose of the Assessment

The FitnessGram® test battery assesses health-related fitness components: aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

In accordance with WV Code §18-2-7(a), the FitnessGram® shall be administered to all students in grades 4-8 and the required high school course.

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

Pre and post assessments are recommended, and each component of test requires a varying amount of time accounting for the variety of components and class size.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

There is not a scheduled assessment window assigned. Counties require scores to be reported at year end check-out for building administrators.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

Local districts decide when and how to report the results to students.

 

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Health Education Assessment Project (HEAP)

 

Subject(s) Assessed

Health/ Wellness Education

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Purpose of the Assessment

HEAP measures student health knowledge and program effectiveness.

 

Requirement for the Assessment

In 2005 HB 2816, The Healthy Lifestyles Act, was signed into law, and the law includes the following mandate: “The State Board shall prescribe a standardized health education assessment to be administered within health education classes to measure student health knowledge and program effectiveness.” Students in grades 6, 8, and the required high school health course must complete the HEAP assessment.

 

Amount of Time to Complete the Assessment

The HEAP assessment is untimed and takes approximately 40 minutes to complete.

 

Scheduled Assessment Window

There is not a scheduled assessment window assigned. Assessment scheduling is determined by the teacher.

 

Time and Format for Dissemination of Results

Class scores are reported in HEAP assessment portal and can be accessed by the teacher. Individual student scores are not reported.

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