Student Outcomes
State assessments — annual exams used to measure students’ academic readiness and proficiency — are under increased scrutiny, with some even calling for their elimination altogether. While assessments in New York State and elsewhere are far from perfect, these measures remain the only objective, comparable, and consistent statewide data to help show what our students know, where they are falling behind, and who needs more support.
State assessments in grades 3 through 8, which are required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provide objective metrics that can be used to identify disparities and target resources to students, schools, and districts most in need. This is why nearly every civil rights organization in the nation supported annual assessments during the development of ESSA.
Our Equity-Centered Approach
Latest Resource
Report: Warning Bells: The Growing Proficiency Crisis Among New York Students
Our analysis of the 2022-23 New York State Education Department (NYSED) assessments reveals troubling outcomes for New York’s students overall, and inequitable results for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color.
EdTrust-New York completed this analysis in May 2024 and shares recommendations for education leaders to raise student outcomes in math and English language arts in New York State, as well as improve assessments by eliminating racial and cultural biases; providing students with high-quality literacy and math curricula; increasing transparency and timeliness around the release of assessment data; and more.
Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years
Statement: NAEP Data Reveals Crisis with Persistent Gaps for Black and Latinx Students
Statement: Preliminary 2023-24 Statewide Assessment Results
Report: Pandemic Proficiency
Statement: 2022-23 New York State Assessment Results
Data Snapshot
Less than
%
of Native American and 30% of Black and Latinx eighth graders were deemed proficient on the eighth grade math assessment in their 2022-23 school year.
Only
%
fourth grade students scored Below Basic in reading, with 55% of Black students and 51% of Latinx students scoring Below Basic.
More Resources
Warning Bells: The Growing Proficiency Crisis Among New York Students
A new analysis of 2022-23 state assessment data reveals troubling outcomes for New York’s students overall, and inequitable results for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color.
Call for Urgent Action: New York State assessment report analysis reveals proficiency crisis for students
A recent analysis the 2022-23 New York State Education Department (NYSED) assessments has revealed alarming disparities in student outcomes, particularly among students of color and from low-income backgrounds. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive action to address inequities in education and support student success statewide.
EdTrust–New York statement on the 2022-23 New York State assessments results
The Education Trust–New York is particularly concerned by student performance in 3rd grade English Language Arts (ELA) and 8th grade math, two critical indicators of future student success. For example, less than 40% of Black and Latino students scored proficient on the 3rd grade ELA and 8th grade math assessments.
Better Localized Data Needed to Support Migrant Students and Families in New York
Data from the city and state departments of education about which districts have experienced the biggest increases in enrollment considering the influx of migrant students could begin to illuminate where greater targeted support is needed.
Students Can’t Wait: Equity Priorities for New Yorkers in 2023
During our briefing, we joined with our partners from the New York Equity Coalition and discussed what our most recent research shows about the state of education in NY, what investments Governor Hochul proposed to help children and families, and our policy recommendations for the 2023 legislative session.
Pandemic Proficiency
Check out the New York Equity Coalition’s in-depth look at Math and ELA proficiency in the 2021-2022 school year.