| By Bob Weaver
The results of the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced proficiency test results for Calhoun, not unlike results for much of West Virginia's students, are dismal, with students in elementary grades scoring higher.
A few higher grades showed higher scoring.
Math proficiency was at 7% for Calhoun 11th graders, with a proficiency high of 56% for 3rd graders.
Language Arts proficiency was at 25% for Calhoun 11th/6th graders, with a 69% high for 3rd graders.
A few county schools systems released their results earlier, but county-to-county comparisons can't be made until the West Virginia Department of Education releases the results on their web site in a few weeks.
State education officials predicted lower scoring with the switch to Smarter Balanced from Westest.
Smarter Balanced is being used in 18 states.
West Virginia's third graders scored better than their cohorts nationally in the Smarter Balanced testing.
Calhoun Superintendent of Schools Tim Woodward, who released the results said, "You always anticipate seeing scores drop the first year a new test is introduced to students and teachers."
"While I am not as enthusiastic about these scores as I have been in the past, overall I am optimistic that our scores will show growth in the second year of the test," Woodward said.
"I am very proud of the scores in our elementary grades and excited to see that our students are getting a good start to their educational experience," he concluded.
West Virginia's third graders scored better than their cohorts nationally in the Smarter Balanced testing.
Early reports with the Smarter Balanced tests statewide show just 25 percent of eighth graders, 18 percent of ninth graders, 15 percent of tenth graders and 20 percent of 11th graders were rated as "proficient."
That means three out of every four students in grades eight through eleven are not proficient.
The results in science were measured differently, using the former Westest, testing grades four, six and ten, all three grades scored lower than the previous year.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation's international rankings for math and science, the United States comes in at 28th, tied with Italy (Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan are at the top).
2014-15 SMARTER BALANCED PROFICIENCY PERCENTAGE MATH:
Grade 3 Mathematics: 44% (WV); Calhoun 56%
Grade 4 Mathematics: 35% (WV); Calhoun 45%
Grade 5 Mathematics: 30% (WV); Calhoun 16%
Grade 6 Mathematics: 26% (WV); Calhoun 19%
Grade 7 Mathematics: 25% (WV); Calhoun 21%
Grade 8 Mathematics: 25% (WV); Calhoun 15%
Grade 9 Mathematics: 18% (WV); Calhoun 24%
Grade 10 Mathematics: 15% (WV); Calhoun 22%
Grade 11 Mathematics: 20% (WV); Calhoun 7% (Clay 11%)
2014-15 SMARTER BALANCED PERCENTAGE PROFICIENCY-ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS:
Grade 3 Language Arts: 46% (WV); Calhoun 69%
Grade 4 Language Arts: 45% (WV); Calhoun 47%
Grade 5 Language Arts: 51% (WV); Calhoun 30%
Grade 6 Language Arts: 43% (WV); Calhoun 25%
Grade 7 Language Arts: 45% (WV); Calhoun 31%
Grade 8 Language Arts: 43% (WV); Calhoun 32%
Grade 9 Language Arts: 38% (WV); Calhoun 47%
Grade 10 Language Arts: 43% (WV); Calhoun 33%
Grade 11 Language Arts: 47% (WV); Calhoun 25%
2014-15 USING FORMER WESTEST: PERCENTAGE PROFICIENCY IN SCIENCE:
WV
Grade 4 Science: 36% (WV); Calhoun 52%
Grade 6 Science: 39% (WV); Calhoun 29%
Grade 10 Science: 35% (WV); Calhoun 36%
WV Kids Count links low academic performance to the rate of children living in poverty, with Calhoun having a poverty level for children of about 30%.
With the Nations Report Card, related to academic outcome, West Virginia has been near the bottom for several years, despite high per capita spending per pupil.
West Virginia is a state with the starting base for teacher's salaries among the lowest in the nation, and with fewer and fewer college students seeking a degree in education.
A number of West Virginia counties had difficulty in actually filling teacher slots in 2015-16.
West Virginia held off this year giving schools an A-F score, which will be used next year.
Calhoun school board members did not respond to comment for this article.
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