Nevada Students Demonstrate Improved Proficiency in Reading and Math on the Smarter Balanced Assessment
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE or Department) has released performance results for the Smarter Balanced assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics administered to third through eighth graders during the 2021-22 school year. Nevada's statewide proficiency rate in ELA is 43.7%, an increase of 2.3 percentage points from the 2020-21 school year. Nevada's statewide proficiency rate in Math is 29.8%, an increase of 3.5 percentage points from the 2020-21 school year. The Eureka County School District made the most dramatic gains in ELA and math, increasing proficiency in both areas by more than 7 percentage points from the 2020-21 school year to 61.3% in ELA and 47.1% in math.
"As a district, we are pleased to see our school improvement efforts having a positive impact on instruction and learning outcomes. Staff and students put out great efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and increased their efforts since returning to the classroom, in order to mitigate learning loss and achieve outstanding academic growth. These positive academic outcomes demonstrate that our methods are working, and we will stay focused on our goal to create better learning environments for all students in the face of new and evolving challenges." said Tate Else, Superintendent of the Eureka School District.
The following chart lists school districts which made percentage point gains in both ELA and math.
| SY 2020-21 ELA | SY 2021-22 ELA | Percentage Point Gain | SY 2020-21 Math | SY 2021-22 Math | Percentage Point Gain |
State | 41.4% | 43.7% | 2.3 | 26.3% | 29.8% | 3.5 |
Carson | 39.7% | 44.5% | 4.8 | 28.2% | 33.8% | 5.6 |
Clark | 37.1% | 41.2% | 4.1 | 21.3% | 26.4% | 5.1 |
Eureka | 54.1% | 61.3% | 7.2 | 39.7% | 47.1% | 7.4 |
Humboldt | 37.6% | 38.8% | 1.2 | 26.8% | 29.8% | 3.0 |
Lincoln | 45.8% | 51.1% | 5.3 | 42.5% | 46.1% | 3.6 |
Nye | 33.4% | 34.7% | 1.3 | 21.3% | 21.8% | 0.5 |
SPCSA | 53.2% | 56.1% | 2.9 | 36.4% | 42.2% | 5.8 |
Washoe | 43.5% | 45.4% | 1.9 | 30.9% | 33.6% | 2.7 |
White Pine | 31.5% | 35.5% | 4.0 | 22.2% | 26.0% | 3.8 |
Additionally, proficiency also increased across all federally reported student groups in both ELA and math.
- Students with disabilities demonstrated a 1.1 percentage point increase in ELA and a 2.0 percentage point increase in math
- English learners demonstrated a 4.5 percentage point increase in ELA and a 3.7 percentage point increase in math.
- Student experiencing economic hardships (FRL) demonstrated a 0.7 percentage point decrease in ELA and a 0.7 percentage point increase in math
- Asian students demonstrated a 2.3 percentage point increase in ELA and a 3.5 percentage point increase in math
- Black students demonstrated a 1.8 percentage point increase in ELA and a 2.7 percentage point increase in math
- White students demonstrated a 2.9 percentage point increase in ELA and a 5.4 percentage point increase in math
- Hispanic students demonstrated a 4.2 percentage increase in ELA and a 4.4 percentage point increase in math.
- American Indian/Alaskan Native students demonstrated a 2.3 percentage point increase in ELA and a 3.5 percentage point increase in math
- Students identifying with two or more races demonstrated a 1.9 percentage point increase in ELA and a 4-percentage point increase in math
- Pacific Islander students demonstrated a 0.8 percentage point increase in ELA and a 1.8 percentage point increase in math
About the Smarter Balanced Assessment
This assessment meets state and federal reporting laws and measure how well students are mastering learning standards that guide classroom instruction and helps to ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school with the critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning skills needed to succeed in today's world. This student performance data can help educators identify areas where students need additional support and improvement.
Furthermore, the Smarter Balanced Assessment is aligned with the Nevada Academic Content Standards in ELA and Mathematics. The science assessments are based on the Nevada Science Standards which are based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Assessments are administered at schools once a year as a computer-based test in a computer-adaptive format.
Smarter Balanced English Language Arts (ELA) Results, Grades 3 through 8
The Smarter Balanced English Language Arts (ELA) Assessment was administered to Nevada students in grades 3 through 8. For the State overall, the proficiency rate for Smarter Balanced ELA was 41.1% in Grade 3, 42.7% in Grade 4, 45.8% in Grade 5, 40.9% in Grade 6, 48.7% in Grade 7, and 42.9% in Grade 8.
The following student proficiency rates reflect the difference in data from the2020-21 school year to the2021-22 school year. Grade 3 increased by 4.7percentage points, Grade 4 increased by 2.4 percentage points, Grade 5 increased by 3.5 percentage points, Grade 6 increased by 1.3 percentage points, Grade 7 increased by 2.3 percentage points, and Grade 8 decreased by 1.4 percentage points.
Smarter Balanced Mathematics Results, Grades 3 through 8
The Smarter Balanced Mathematics Assessment was administered to Nevada students in grades 3 through 8. For the State overall, the proficiency rate for Smarter Balanced Mathematics was 40.5% in Grade 3, 34.9% in Grade 4, 29.2% in Grade 5, 26.3% in Grade 6, 26.3% in Grade 7, and 22.2% in Grade 8.
The following student proficiency rates reflect the difference in data from the 2020-21 school year to the 2021-22 school year. Grade 3 increased by 8.4percentage points, Grade 4 increased by 6.7 percentage points, Grade 5 increased by 5 percentage points, Grade 6 increased by 2.9 percentage points, Grade 7 decreased by 1.1 percentage points, and Grade 8 increased by 0.8 percentage points.
Nevada Science Results, Grades 5, 8, and High School
The Nevada Science Assessment was administered to students in grades 5, 8, and high school. For the State overall, the proficiency rate for the Nevada Science assessments was 19.96% in Grade 5, 34.01% in Grade 8, and 20.70% in high school.
The following student proficiency rates reflect the difference in data from the 2020-21 school year to the 2021-22 school year. Grade 5 increased by 1.06 percentage points, Grade 8 decreased by 0.39 percentage points, and high school decreased by 9 percentage points.
"We are pleased to see that Nevada's statewide proficiency rate in both ELA and Math have shown an increase from the 2020-21 school year. This demonstrates that the tremendous efforts made by our educators are having a positive impact on student outcomes. "said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. "These results are moving in the right direction, and we need to invest and accelerate what is working. The Nevada Department of Education continues to support our students, families and educators, as we work together to address the academic and social-emotional needs of our students resulting from the challenges of the last two years."
