Academic results for FCPS show dropping proficiency levels, little progress in improving scores, and results far below acceptable levels. This should concern all parents.

The results of the most recent FCPS assessments show that all school levels – elementary, Middle, and High school – did not meet academic proficiency targets. State-level testing results were also well below acceptable levels. In Math, as measured through FCPS testing, results dropped substantially from 2018 levels, with no school level exceeding 50%. In English Language Arts (ELA) for Elementary and Middle schools, academic proficiency levels were 55% and 52%, respectively, and 64% for High School. In the state testing for Math 6^th through 8^th grade, proficiency was no higher than 25%, and every grade showed a decline of 32%-60% from 2019 testing.   

Results for “Students w/disabilities” showed the worst results, with Math proficiency coming in at 13%, <5%, and 9% for Elementary, Middle School, and High School, respectively. Proficiency results for ELA were 16%, 10%, and 27%, respectively.

The “Economically Disadvantaged” students were the next lowest performing group, with over 80% failing to achieve in Math and over 60% failing to achieve in ELA. Two odd things showed up in these results. First, the ELA results were reported as “met target,” with proficiency levels of 31% of Elementary, 25% of Middle school, and 27% of High School students, which begs the question; what is the target and the criteria for meeting it? It also seems inconsistent that although 84% of High School students in this category were assessed as not meeting the Math academic target along with 63% in ELA, the graduation rate of this group was 83%. This raises the question of what the FCPS criteria is for the graduation of economically disadvantaged students.

State testing results (conducted separately from the FCPS testing) were also similarly low. Math results for students proficient in Math ranged from 15% (8th grade) to 50% (3^rd grade). In ELA, the proficiency ranged from 49% (8^th grade) to 69% (10^th grade). In Science, student proficiency levels ranged from 42% (5^th grade) to 49% (High School). The only grade to exceed a 55% proficiency level was 10^th grade ELA. Overall, 12 of the 17 total grades tested across Math, Science, and ELA declined from 2019, some as high as 60% (Geometry).   

English Language Learners also showed a decline in English proficiency and are now below 10%. 

While these most recent low scores can obviously be attributed to the impacts of the pandemic, it should be noted that scores were below what most people would consider acceptable in the years leading up to the pandemic-related school closures. For example, Math for grades 3-6 steadily declined from 2016 to 2019. See the charts here for the detailed trends and most recent results.