The Maine Department of Education released new data Monday that it said show student test scores have been increasing since 2023 on the state-level Through Year Assessment.
Education Commissioner Pender Makin said these data contradict Maine’s declining performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, but said that is partially due to how the assessment is calculated and the small sample size that’s used.
“Those scores are taken, and they’re cleansed and verified, and they pull out outliers, high, extra high ones, extra low ones. Then they take a look at the demographic makeup of the state of Maine, and they make a statistical projection, which is called a state score estimate,” Makin said.
Makin acknowledges that test scores are just a small indicator of the health of the state’s education system.
“It’s really important to remind people that there is a great deal of context when we ask how the kids are doing. It’s a really important question. How are schools doing, how are our students faring, and a lot of numbers, you know, get lobbed around or have some staying power,” Makin said.
Makin said among the encouraging indicators are the fact that the four-year graduation rate is exceeding the national average and that Career and Technical Education programs have increased enrollment by more than 20% since before the pandemic.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.