New York state testing results are in for primary schools, and the results reflect a long-standing trend that a new statewide policy is looking to upend.
Grade school assessments across New York state show that on average about half of students in grades 3 through 8 are proficient in math and English language arts.
That's up about 10 percentage points from last year, though a look at state test scores dating back to the early 2000s shows that scores then were about the same — there is also a notable divide between students who are economically disadvantaged and those who are not both then, in the early 2010s, and now.
"They're just tools, like a thermometer. They tell us how healthy we are, not necessarily why," said Chris Wilkens, an associate professor of education at SUNY Brockport. "I think the long-term trends are really the things to pay attention to."
There are some other indicators as to what may be contributing to low test scores, Wilkens said, with one pattern emerging about a decade ago
"You can actually see the dips in test scores starting about 2012 to 2015 both in New York state and at the national level," Wilkens said.
That's about when smartphone popularity took off. Wilkens points to Jonathan Haidt's book, "The Anxious Generation," for an analysis on how smartphones have affected the wellbeing of children and teens — which in turn influences their academic performance.
"[Haidt] puts forward one of those pretty coherent claims that the rise of smartphones ... was an important inflection point," Wilkens said.
This school year marks the first that a statewide ban on personal electronic devices in classrooms, is in effect — a move that Haidt also endorsed. Wilkens is cautiously optimistic that the statewide ban on personal internet-enabled devices in classrooms might shape future test scores.
"It'll be really interesting to see over the next three to five years, if we can detect improvements," Wilkens said. "Probably not this year, because even teachers and schools are still figuring out, like, did they go in lockers? Did they go in pouches? Do we have to send another email to tell the kids to leave them in their cars?"
State data for 2024-2025 shows a stark difference in scores between local districts with higher and lower concentrations of students from low-income families.
Pittsford significantly outperformed districts across the state with 80% proficiency among students. Less than 5% of enrolled students there are classified as economically disadvantaged.
Rochester city schools performed below the state average with less than 20% proficiency in the subjects. Just over 90% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged.
The New York state Education Department's website has School Report Cards with district-level reports on test scores and enrollment.
Copyright 2025 WXXI News
