State Education Department Releases 75 Percent of Questions and Instructional Reports From 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics and Elementary- And Intermediate-Level Science Tests

The State Education Department today announced that instructional reports for the 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and Elementary- and Intermediate-level Science Testing Program are available for schools and districts. Instructional reports provide educators with valuable information that can be used to evaluate student achievement and guide support at the state, district, school, and student levels. Earlier this month, more than 75 percent of questions from this year’s English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science Tests that count toward student scores in these tests were posted on the Department’s website. With the release of the questions from each exam, educators and parents are able to review their students’ answers to constructed-response questions, giving them an even clearer picture of how well students are doing. 

These annual tests are required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and are a valuable tool to help ensure students have the support needed to succeed. The annual tests are intended to be one measure used to assess student learning and one tool of many used by educators to ensure students are getting the services and supports they need to prepare for career, college, and civic readiness.   

Our goal is to provide our teachers, administrators, and parents with as much information as possible about their students’ performance and make it available as quickly as possible to improve classroom instruction. 

Released Test Questions

The State Education Department released more than 75 percent of the 2024 ELA, Math, and Science test questions that counted toward student scores on the tests. Each released multiple-choice question includes the question itself and an item map that provides the answer key and the standard(s) measured by the question. Each released constructed-response (open-ended) question includes the question itself, an item map that provides the standard(s) measured by the question, and the scoring materials used to score student responses to these questions. 

Instructional Reports

The release of the 2024 instructional reports during the same school year in which the tests were administered allows schools and districts more time to use this information for summer curriculum development and professional development activities. Schools may access their district’s instructional reports through the Regional Information Centers (RIC) and/or Big 5 city school district data centers. 

The instructional reports show educators how each student performed on every question that contributed to his or her score. As with those from past years, the 2024 instructional reports for ELA, Math, and Science are based on raw scores only, which are not comparable year over year. Scale scores and performance levels will be available when the statewide results are released later this summer. 

Upcoming Data Releases 

In August, individual Student Score Reports will be provided to schools to be shared with parents. These reports will feature information about what students should know and be able to do for their grade level and will show how each child scored in specific skill and concept areas. By late fall, following a comprehensive data quality control check, the Department will release the statewide aggregate data for the 2024 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math and Elementary- and Intermediate-level Science tests. 

Additional information about the tests is available on the Department’s State Assessment website.