Surprising Science Scores For Some Schools in Western New York

The results of statewide science testing are out, and some schools in Western New York learned they have a lot of work to do.

Science is not always the easiest subject in school. While extremely important to educating kids and growing the future of America, let alone our world, science classes can be some of the hardest courses students take.

New York State has always been considered to be a very well-educated one, with lots of its tax money going toward education. While part of the country is falling backward in education, New York has taken a stand against the downward spiral.

However, with scores like these, some districts may raise their eyebrows.

These scores do not mean a district is good or bad; they just show where kids are according to a standardized test.

According to Datawrapper, standardized science test scores from students in grades 5 and 8 across New York State have been released. While plenty of districts did well, Erie County residents may be disappointed to learn that the highest-ranking district they have is 63rd. East Aurora takes the top spot locally, with a 68% proficiency. Concerning, though, are districts like Alden (35%), Ken-Ton (33%), Cleve-Hill (26%), Cheektowaga (26%), Buffalo (20%), and the lowest-ranked school in Erie County Lackawanna, which only has a 13% proficiency. That’s the 3rd worst, state-wide.

Now, this is speculation, but it’s not necessarily all bad. These tests you have to remember are used for benchmarking and giving a sense of where kids are in a district. They aren’t necessarily the end-all to where kids are in terms of their education. Plus, it’s important to remember every district has different challenges, so before you get angry, remember that these scores are just that: scores. It doesn’t mean your school district is bad or that the kids are failing.

Some kids are also just not great test takers. Some teachers aren’t great test preppers, either. Tests tell one story, not the entire thing.

What are your thoughts on these scores? Do tests even matter? Let me know: [email protected]

This post was originally published on here