K-12 Test Scores And Student Well-Being Are Deeply Intertwined

News headlines that spotlight declines in reading and mathematics scores for American students sit alongside heartbreaking reports on student mental health, anxiety, and school-avoidant behaviors. Test scores and student well-being are deeply intertwined. Families and schools must react accordingly.

Now that the 2023-24 school year is in session, standardized testing and other forms of student assessment lie ahead. Schools are pursuing intense, targeted instructional practices to boost student achievement. Can Americans expect significant growth in academic assessments this year? It seems unlikely until other key student factors are addressed.

The most authoritative voice regarding educational data for American schools is the National Center for Education Statistics. NCES is an independent, nonpartisan branch of the U.S. Department of Education mandated by Congress to collect, analyze, and disseminate information about education in the United States and internationally. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, widely known as the Nation’s Report Card, is administered through NCES. This video offers a succinct description of NCES and its role in education.

The Condition of Education report, released through NCES, offers a comprehensive look at factors such as student enrollment, assessment results, school crime and safety statistics, and other performance-related data. The report also explores family and school characteristics, postsecondary education, labor force and economic outcomes, and international comparisons. Teacher vacancies and qualifications loom large this year. As a result, the 2023 COE report includes a spotlight on teacher openings during the coronavirus pandemic. While Congress receives the Condition of Education report for decision-making purposes, it is valuable to all entities interested in educating America’s children.

There is more to the story of student success than numbers associated with test results. Factors that influence test results must be considered. Student mental health is one example. The COE report, updated in August, spotlights students’ recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The data is significant. In 2022, 69 percent of public schools reported an increase in students seeking mental health services from their school, while only 13 percent of schools strongly agreed they were able to effectively meet those needs. (Of course, this begs additional questions. What should be the role of schools in meeting student mental health needs? Is this part of their mission? If so, are schools properly equipped, financially and with qualified staff, to address student mental health?)

Mental health and well-being challenges lead to absenteeism challenges. And absenteeism leads to dropping test scores. The NAEP PLUS+ blog draws a clear connection between fourth grade absenteeism and a 27% decline in 2022 NAEP mathematics scores.

Student success and wellness indicators can also be found in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Center. The Foundation’s 2023 Interactive Data Book is fascinating and allows a deep dive into child well-being, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community indicators that impact children’s success.

Armed with the latest NAEP data and ongoing state and school assessments, schools are focused on strategies to improve student academic outcomes. While test scores offer a crucial data point regarding the success of schools, what matters most is what we do with the data. American students are still emerging from the pandemic. Associated factors such as learning loss, chronic absenteeism, and concerns for student mental health persist. These data points must be viewed alongside testing data as schools consider upcoming instructional strategies and testing.

Testing cycles will continue this year, and they serve an important purpose. However, families and educators must recognize that American schools cannot test their way back to pre-pandemic knowledge attainment. Years ago, I worked with a K-12 colleague who offered a searing comment on the (much too frequent) rate of testing in schools. Relating to our somewhat rural community, she noted the need to feed the cow between weighings. At the time, I believe she was referring to teaching time between tests. Post-Covid, this can be expanded to include the many other ways students must be fed.

Once student wellness issues are addressed, schools will be able to focus directly on the high-impact instructional practices necessary to help students learn. In the meantime, it seems families, schools, and policymakers should not look for meaningful improvements in test scores.

As NCES Commissioner Dr. Peggy Carr notes, while every state in the U.S. showed declines in the NAEP data released in June, “we have to think about the whole child if we are going to move ourselves forward.”