Washoe County student test scores improved over the last year, according to school district officials who on Friday released results of the latest Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exam.
The SBAC is taken annually by students in grades three through eight and includes math and English sections.
Washoe students increased the overall English scores by 1.9 percentage points from the 2020-21 school year and increased math scores by 2.6 percentage points during the same time frame.
“This is the first set of data we have received from the 2021-2022 school year,” WCSD Superintendent Susan Enfield said. “These initial results are encouraging indicators that our students are on the road to recovery following some of the most challenging years our education system has ever faced.”
WCSD accountability officer Joe Ernst credited federal COVID relief funds which paid for additional tutoring, summer school and social-emotional assistance which helped students to more quickly recover from learning lost during the pandemic.
Despite improved overall scores in the district, fewer than half of students are meeting grade level standard. In English Language Arts 45.3% of students scored at grade level standard and in math 33.7% scored at grand level standard. District officials did say that improvements were seen nearly across the board in terms of student race/ethnicity and “special population groups.”
North Valleys educator wins History Teacher of the Year
North Valleys High School educator Emily Roberts this month was names Nevada History Teacher of the Year by the Guilder Lehrman Institute of American History. She is among 53 finalists for the national award, to be determined in the coming school year.
In addition to competing for the national award, Roberts will receive a $1,000 award, certificate and archive of books and historical resources for use in her classroom.
Roberts said she finds teaching both beautiful and challenging and is looking forward to meeting her next batch of students.
“My students are the best part of teaching and the reason I love coming to work,” said Roberts. “I love teaching history because it sparks passion within students when they can see themselves in the story. Teaching history also encourages students to research, think critically, question and take action. My goal is that students leave my classroom with empowerment to take informed action within their communities.”
Roberts graduated Reed High School and University of Nevada, Reno and has taught for 14 years in California and Nevada, the last six years in Washoe County School District.
Source: WCSD
