Test changes led to flawed data

Kimberly McCluskey leads the students in her second grade classroom at West Elementary School through a phonics lesson involving the pronunciation of various consonants during a lesson on Jan. 21.

Photo by Brian S. Orban

A change in the online tools used to measure reading proficiency among students across Idaho showed mixed results as some school districts saw more students struggling with these early literacy skills while others showed strong performances at others schools in the state.

Required under Idaho code, these assessments conducted during the fall and spring months each school year allow teachers and district officials to better identify the needs of early learners with regards to their understanding of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension, state officials said.

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