Student test scores in Maine slipped in the 2017-2018 school year. "We did see a slight decline across the board in student test results," says Rachel Paling, communication director for the Maine Department of Education.Paling says the Maine Education Assessment Test results, released Tuesday, track results from various exams given to students from Grade 3 to Grade 11.
They show that about 50 per cent of students met or exceeded state standards in English during the past school year, down from almost 53 per cent the year before.
In science, nearly 59 per cent of students met state standards, down from almost 62 per cent. In math, only 37 percent of students met or exceeded state standards, down from almost 39 percent.
Paling says a low math score is not an unfamiliar sight. "We know that here in Maine we've struggled with math, and that's something we're working on with schools to better support instruction to boost the math scores."
Maine Principals' Association Executive Director Dick Durost declined to comment on the test results, saying it's still too soon to know what the numbers mean.
Originally published Nov. 13, 2018 at 12:12 p.m. ET.
