The 2022 assessment tests for Salem-Keizer Public School students showed a sharp decline in English, math and science during the pandemic.
While reported proficiency numbers are down across the country, when looking deeper into the 10 Keizer-based schools, the drop off seems even more stark.
In the district, just over one-third of students tested proficient in English, while just over one-quarter did so in math and science.
When it comes to English, math and science testing, 60% of Keizer schools tested below the SKPS average. It’s 70% when compared to the state average for English.
At the state level, Whiteaker Middle School was the only Keizer-based school to test above the average. Whiteaker is also one of only two to test above state averages when it comes to science, joined by Clearlake Elementary.
When examining the data, there are some patterns that jump off the page.
Across the district and state, there is a clear and consistent drop-off from English proficiency to the math and science scores. While nearly 39% tested proficient in English, it is 23% and 27% for math and science respectively.
In Oregon, 35% score proficient in English, with 23% in math and 25% in science.
Keizer schools don’t show a consistency between math and science testing out higher. Five schools had a higher percentage test proficient in science over math. Four tested higher in math, while McNary tested out at nearly the same percentage.
Looking deeper at McNary, the drop-off from English to the other subjects is even more pronounced.
McNary ranked third in English proficiency among the eight SKPS high schools, one of only three schools to test above state levels. But when it comes to math, McNary dropped to sixth in the district in math proficiency, and seventh in science.
Going down to the elementary school level, which Keizer has seven of, there is a clear separation between the campuses.
Clearlake is the only elementary school that tested above or near the state level in all three subjects. They tested above in English and science, with only a 9% drop from the state level in math proficiency. No other Keizer-based elementary school tested above state levels in any subject.
Gubser tested near the state average in all three, and above the SKPS average in English and math. In science, Gubser hit the SKPS average.
At the other end of the spectrum for elementary schools are Cummings Elementary and Weddle Elementary. Both tested well below SKPS averages in all three subjects, with Weddle far under.
Only 12.6% of Weddle students tested proficient in English, with that number hitting single digits when it comes to math and science. Weddle had the lower average proficiency numbers across all three subjects than any of the other 43 SKPS elementary schools,
When it comes to Keizer’s two middle schools, it is another stark difference.
Whiteaker tested above state levels in all three subjects, while Claggett Creek scored well below the SKPS averages.
Assessment tests have received their fair share of criticism in recent years, and the debate over their value wages on. Regardless of the overall acceptance of assessments and what they truly show in terms of student learning, the results from the 2022 assessments do show massive differences across the 10 campuses in a town that is only seven square miles.