West Virginia: Comparing schools and districts based on student proficiency
The information below reflects the most recent data available to us; please contact us with questions or to request additional analyses.
Analysis: Comparing schools and districts on third grade proficiency in reading and math
The charts linked below allow you to compare schools and districts in West Virginia with their peers. The Y (vertical) axis shows the percentage of proficient 3rd graders in a subject; the X (horizontal) axis shows the percentage of students who qualify for the free or reduced rate lunch program, a common indicator of poverty in schools.
Available charts:
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2022)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2019)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2018)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2017)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2016)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2014)
- Poverty versus 3rd grade reading proficiency rates (2012)
Note: Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) revised the ways in which socioeconomic status (SES) is reported for West Virginia public school students. Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, WVDE began reporting the “low SES” subgroup using only the students who are directly certified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. In previous years (2014-15 through 2016-17), all students eligible for nutrition assistance and all students enrolled in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools (schools that provide free meals to all students, regardless of economic circumstance or hardship) were counted in the low SES subgroup.
Comparing West Virginia’s Proficiency Standards to the National “Gold Standard” (NAEP)
Each state defines for itself what “proficient” means; some states have a rigorous definition, while others are less strict in their standards. To see how states compare, ECF has published charts showing the percentage of students deemed proficient in various subjects and grade levels and compared them to percentages reported for each state by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or “The Nation’s Report Card”), considered to be the gold standard.