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Missouri students are showing progress on standardized tests administered by the state, with results in some categories approaching 鈥� and even exceeding 鈥� pre-pandemic levels.

But in other areas 鈥� most notably English language arts 鈥� students continue to struggle.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education revealed preliminary scores in the Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, to the State Board of Education Tuesday.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, said she was 鈥渁 little deflated that we didn鈥檛 see more growth and progress.鈥�

DESE is implementing programs to address low levels of literacy, an issue throughout the United States, with interventions based on the science of reading and .

Westbrooks-Hodge said the intervention has worked like triage care; it 鈥渟topped the bleed鈥� and scores are static.

鈥淲e made lots of great investments in the last two years, and I think we鈥檙e going to see the fruit of that as our score starts to increase,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of these interventions are working. They鈥檙e stabilizing our educational system, and now we can start layering growth on top of that.鈥�

English language arts scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to data presented Tuesday, with 56% of students scoring in the 鈥渂asic鈥� or 鈥渂elow basic鈥� range. This percentage has held steady since 2022.

Lisa Sireno, assistant commissioner of quality schools, said it takes 鈥渃ontinuous, sustained focused implementation with fidelity at the local level, up to five years, before we start to see results on large-scale measures.鈥�

She noted that teacher shortages could be impacting the scores, as a battle of the 2023-24 school year.

When looking at scores across all subjects and grades, there is an observable improvement since 2021鈥檚 tests. That year, 24% of scores were in the 鈥渂elow basic鈥� range. That鈥檚 fallen to 22% this year, still higher than the 19% below basic in the  last pre-pandemic tests in 2019. The number of scores in proficient and advanced ranges are one-percent less than 2019鈥檚 achievement.

Math scores are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, with a one-percent boost in the advanced category compared to 2019 when looking at grades 3-8. Sireno noted that middle-school math has exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Sireno expects additional analysis, especially as educators look at local-level data.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: [email protected]. Follow Missouri Independent on and .

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