State Education Department Releases Spring 2021 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Assessment Data

Due to the circumstances related to the pandemic, approximately 4 out of 10 students participated in the Spring 2021 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. In ELA, 41.9 percent of students enrolled in grades 3-8 took the exam and in math, 39.9 percent of enrolled students took the exam.

In an ordinary year, the percentage of students who participate in the tests is typically over 80 percent. Therefore, the 2021 grades 3-8 assessment results are not representative of the state’s student population and should not be compared to that of previous school years, statewide or among subgroups of students. As a result, the Department is not making statewide comparisons of the data and only district and school level results are posted on the Department’s website.

“The pandemic exacerbated already existing inequities for students and this fact is most evident in our 2021 statewide assessment participation rates,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. “The Board and the Department are committed to addressing these disparities by helping schools implement policies and practices to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. Together we must work to ensure that all New York State students have the support they need to be successful in school and in life.”

“While educators and school-based staff rose to meet unprecedented challenges last year, everything about education was different for educators, students and parents, including the state assessments,” said Commissioner Rosa.  “This year just 4 in 10 students took the tests so the data does not reflect the majority of students’ learning. State exams are just one of multiple measures of student learning used to help shape student individualized learning plans so they have the supports they need.”

USDE Waivers

The U.S. Department of Education did not grant the Department’s assessment waiver request for Spring 2021 tests. As a result, the Department administered shorter state assessments to those students who attended school in person. Students engaged in fully remote learning were not required to come to school to take the tests. For Spring 2022, NYSED will return to the normal two-session test format.

Utility & Limitations of This Year’s Data

Performance data at the local level is available on the Department’s website and includes data on the number and percentage of students who tested and who did not test at the state, district and student levels. Depending on the percentage of students who participated in the tests in each school or district, the local results may or may not be representative of that school’s or district’s student population.

Value in Student Level Data: On the classroom and student levels, state assessments are one tool that allows educators to better understand the needs of their students to provide individual supports more effectively. In addition, families gain insight into their child’s understanding of the state learning standards.

Multiple Measures of Student Learning Used: To get a full picture of the learning that takes place, teachers use multiple measures to assess student learning, including locally and teacher-developed assessments, vendor-developed assessments, coursework and project-based assignments.

English Language Arts Students Tested & Not Tested Data

In ELA, there was wide variation among subgroups of students in the percentage of students who participated in the tests. Students with disabilities, current English language learners and those students who are economically disadvantaged took the tests at rates that were lower than the percent of all students who took the tests. The data for “Students Not Tested” includes students who did not take the tests for varied reasons including receiving entirely remote instruction, students whose parents opted them out of testing, medically excused, absent, and first-year English language learners.

*This column represents the percentage point difference in each subgroup's tested rate as compared to the tested rate of the Total Public Enrollment/ All Students group.

White and Multiracial students took the test at rates that were higher than all students. Black, Hispanic and American Indian/ Alaska Native students took the tests at rates that were lower than all students. Asian / Pacific Islander students took the tests at a rate nearly comparable to all students.

*This column represents the percentage point difference in each subgroup's tested rate as compared to the tested rate of the Total Public Enrollment/ All Students group.

Math Students Tested and Not Tested Data

In Math, the wide variation among subgroups of students who took the test was consistent with ELA. Students with disabilities, current English language learners and those students who are economically disadvantaged took the tests at rates that were lower than the percent of all students who took the test. The data for “Students Not Tested” includes students who did not take the tests for varied reasons including receiving entirely remote instruction, students whose parents opted them out of testing, medically excused, absent and those enrolled in Regents math courses.

*This column represents the percentage point difference in each subgroup's tested rate as compared to the tested rate of the Total Public Enrollment/ All Students group.

In Math, White and Multiracial students took the tests at rates that were higher than all students. Black, Hispanic and American Indian /Alaska Native students took the tests at rates that were lower than all students. Asian / Pacific Islander students took the tests at a rate that was comparable to all students.

*This column represents the percentage point difference in each subgroup's tested rate as compared to the tested rate of the Total Public Enrollment/ All Students group.

Support-Oriented Approach to Accountability

The Department takes a support-oriented approach in partnership with schools throughout the state. While the identification part of the Accountability system was paused in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, and no new schools are being identified for improvement based on assessment results, the support part of the system continues to grow.

For the past three years, two-thirds of our Receivership Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools chose to take part in the Department’s Targeted Support program. Through this model, more than two dozen schools have received a combined total of more than 1,200 hours of specialized coaching since January 2020.

Supports to non-Receivership CSI schools have continued to grow as well through NYSED’s CSI Enhanced program. Approximately 85 percent of the non-Receivership CSI schools have opted into these models of support for this school year.

More Information Available:

• Assessment performance data, and tested and not tested data, by district and school are available on NYSED’s public data website.
• A Frequently Asked Questions document regarding this year’s exams is also available.
• A further breakdown of the students who tested and did not test statewide is available.
• A PowerPoint with statewide tested and not tested data is available.