Indiana has unveiled results for pandemic-year standardized assessments, but officials say the data is not comparable to previous years.
Results published by officials during the Indiana State Board of Education meeting Wednesday confirm the expected drop in scores on the state's ILEARN exam.
According to the data, just fewer than 29 percent of the state's third through eighth graders passed both the English/language arts (ELA) and math portions of the test. Roughly 36 percent of students passed just the math portion of the test, with about 40 percent passing ELA.
About 53 percent of Indiana's fifth graders passed the social studies ILEARN, and just more than 37 percent of the state's fourth and sixth graders passed science. Meanwhile, about 31 percent of Indiana's high school students passed the biology ILEARN.
The Indiana Department of Education said the scores shouldn't be compared to previous years, and the data should be considered a new "baseline" for the state. IDOE said the pandemic had a "substantial impact" on many students' academic progress, but the test itself is also still fairly new; ILEARN was rolled out for the first time in 2019, and students didn't take the test in 2020.
Data also highlights opportunity gaps for different student groups, with fewer than 10 percent of Black, special education, and English Learner students reaching proficiency in both ELA and math.
The scores won't be used for school accountability, with lawmakers approving a "hold harmless" measure earlier this year, and the U.S. Department of Education waiving federal accountability earlier this year.
Contact reporter Jeanie at jlindsa@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @jeanjeanielindz.