Average Kansas state reading and math scores for tests taken last spring rose for the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education and posted the largest increase since the current tests began in 2015.
Although most education leaders say such tests are just one of many measures of student and school performance, they tend to receive the most attention from Legislators, educational analysts, and, at least in the past, Kansas courts evaluating the constitutional adequacy of school funding. Testing students at multiple grade levels is also required by both state and federal law.
In both reading and math, the percentage of students increased in the top three performance levels and decreased in the lowest level. This improvement occurred despite a 5% increase in the low-income students, who, on average, have significantly lower test scores than higher-income students.
What state assessment results mean
Kansas tests score students at four levels. Level 1 is defined as a “limited” ability to understand and use skills and knowledge needed to be academically prepared for postsecondary success. Level 2 is defined as a “basic” ability for postsecondary success, Level 3 as an “effective” ability and Level 4 as an “excellent” ability. Note that these levels are based on preparation for postsecondary education and are not identified as grade level, proficiency, minimal competency and other standards. These are higher expectations than previous generations of tests, where fewer students were expected to go to college.
Kansas State Department of Education research has found that higher levels on assessments increase the likelihood of graduating high school and completing either an industry certification, technical certificate or academic degree or being enrolled in a postsecondary program two years after graduation. Students at Level 1 had an 80 percent graduation rate and 22% postsecondary success rate; at Level 2, 90% graduation rate and 47 percent postsecondary success; and at Levels 3 and 4, about a 95% graduation rate and 75% postsecondary success.
To give students the best opportunity for postsecondary success, the State Board of Education has set a goal of 95% graduating and 75% of students scoring at Levels 3 and 4. However, about half of the students at Level 2 and about 20% at Level 1 go on to postsecondary success, and about 25% of students at Levels 3 and 4 do not have postsecondary success within two years, so test results do not guarantee either success or failure in future performance.
History of Kansas test results since 2015
In 2015, using an average of reading and math tests, 77% of all Kansas students tested at Level 2 (Basic skills for postsecondary success) or higher, and 37% tested at Level 3 (Effective skills) or higher. Having more than 20% of students “below basic” was one reason the Kansas Supreme Court found the school finance system constitutionally inadequate in the Gannon case.
In 2016 and 2017, the state froze school district operating funds for two years using the block grant system following six years when school funding increases were less than inflation (2009-2015). Students at Level 2 or higher declined by 5.5% and at Level 3 or higher by nearly 2%.
In 2018 and 2019, the first two years of a six-year school funding plan passed by the Legislature and approved by the Kansas Supreme Court to settle the Gannon case, the decline in test scores leveled off. Scores increased by 0.25% at Level 2 and higher and decreased 0.5% at Level 3 and higher.
In 2020, no tests were given in Kansas or other states during the first year of the COVID pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, as schools dealt with the continuing impact of COVID-19, students at Level 2 and higher declined more than 5%, and students at Level 3 and higher declined almost 4%.
Last year, in 2023, the first full year of funding under the Gannon school finance settlement, students at Level 2 and higher increased by over 1% and at Level 3 and higher by 1.5%.
Factors influencing test results
Test scores are highly influenced by factors outside the school district’s control, such as family income. Students who do not qualify for free and reduced-price meals score about 25 percentage points higher than lower-income students who do qualify. In 2023, low-income students increased by about 1.7% at Level 2 and higher and Level 3 and higher. Higher-income students increased by 3% at Level 2 and higher and almost 4% at Level 3 and higher.
The overall state average for tests increased less than either group because the percentage of low-income students increased from 43.2 percent to 48.3 percent – the highest level since 2017. As a result, even though scores for low-income students increased by nearly 2 percent, there were more such students, and they continued to score lower than higher-income students. Part of the increase was due to families not being required to apply for free and reduced-price meals in 2021 and 2022 because of federal COVID policies, but the 2023 percentage was higher than in pre-COVID years.
Interpreting trends in state assessments
For some Legislators and critics, the decline in test scores until this year was evidence that higher funding does not result in improved academic performance or that school programs focusing on mental health, social-emotional learning and individual plans of study are either distracting from or worsening academic performance. Some suggest that declining test scores mean higher graduation rates, which have increased since 2010, are invalid because students need to demonstrate an equal increase in proficiency on test scores. These arguments are often used to support increased aid to students attending private schools. However, accredited private schools' test scores have also declined, similar to public schools with comparable student characteristics.
Based on statements and interviews in districts across the states, most school leaders say the decline in test scores began after significant funding cuts reduced school staff and programs to assist students. The Gannon plan was designed to restore those cuts but wasn’t fully implemented until last year. In addition, both public and private schools are dealing with mental health and behavioral issues among students that were aggravated by the COVID pandemic, which had financial, social, health and educational consequences that offset the benefits of increased funding. The Legislature itself has provided increased funding for student mental health services.
Many school leaders suggest this is the first year to evaluate the impact of increased funding post-COVID effectively. They would note that districts have used those funds to improve student success in many ways:
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Expand early childhood education, which has been shown to improve academic results.
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Increase special education services as more students are identified with disabilities, although state and federal special education aid has not kept with these costs.
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Revise curriculums and increase professional development to teach reading and other subjects more effectively.
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Add more staff to work with struggling students, from academic assistants to social workers.
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Expand career technical education programs and concurrent enrollment for college-bound students.
These efforts have been supported both by increased state funding through the Gannon plan and federal COVID relief funds (however, these federal funds will expire in the next year.)
As these efforts have expanded, more students are graduating and earning credentials validated by third-party assessments or colleges, and fewer are enrolled in remedial courses in college. School leaders also note that higher graduation rates and postsecondary success are not only tied to academic preparation but also to keeping students in school and focused on preparing for postsecondary training and the workforce. Despite declining test scores before 2023, Kansas educational attainment measured by postsecondary credentials has continued to increase, and those credentials, on average, result in higher earning and employment opportunities and less poverty.
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