Indiana ILEARN test scores plunge unevenly
Share this story
Anthony Lanzilote for Chalkbeat
As education officials had warned, Indiana elementary and middle school test scores plunged this year, with only a fraction testing proficient in English and math, much fewer than two years ago.
Results of the annual ILEARN state tests released Wednesday show that 28.6% of students statewide in grades 3 through 8 tested proficient in both English and math. In 2019, the last time the test was given, 37.1% passed.
In Indianapolis Public Schools, which has a high proportion of students from struggling families, only 10% showed proficiency in both English and math.
Last spring, states debated whether testing students amid a pandemic was fair to them and schools. Indiana decided to test, and required even students learning remotely to take the annual standardized exams in person though state lawmakers won’t punish schools for the results.