Results from the new version of the Idaho Reading Indicator show that just over 57% of students in kindergarten through third grade are reading at or above grade level.

But some districts and charters far surpassed that metric on what state leaders say is a harder test, requiring students to read on-screen text back to a computer instead of selecting the right answer from a handful of options.

The Top 10 performers are charter schools, save for the North Gem School District. Below are top performers broken out by charter schools, traditional school districts and online schools.

Consider the following when reviewing the lists:

  • These lists don’t account for enrollment differences. In smaller schools and districts, higher proficiency rates are more achievable than those in large ones because data more easily skews high or low based on the performance of a relative few.
  • The lists also don’t account for demographic differences, such as a student body’s affluence, English proficiency or other factors that can affect a school’s test results. 
  • Some data has been redacted by the state, so not all districts and schools are represented. 
  • We tried to compare the most similar types of schools and districts, but some differences still aren’t accounted for (like those mentioned above and others).  
  • Find the complete data set at the bottom of the article.
  • Learn more about the redesigned IRI and statewide scores here.

Top 10 overall

District/charter Proficiency Test takers
North Idaho Stem Charter Academy 90% 210
Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School 86.9% 122
Legacy Public Charter 82% 111
Gem Prep: Online 81.5% 65
North Gem 80% 35
North Star Charter 79.8% 327
Compass Public Charter 79.7% 403
Liberty Charter 78.9% 109
Victory Charter 78.7% 108
The Academy 76.9% 334

 

Largest 10 districts or charters

District Proficiency Test takers
West Ada 75.8% 9,292
Boise 65.6% 5,332
Bonneville 64.1% 3,430
Idaho Home Learning Academy 59.5% 3,209
Coeur d’Alene 56.7% 2,570
Pocatello-Chubbuck 54.6% 2,883
Twin Falls 51.3% 2,227
Vallivue 45.6% 2,351
Nampa 44% 3,458
Idaho Falls 42.6% 2,653

 

Top 10 public school districts

District Proficiency Test takers
North Gem 80% 35
West Ada 75.8% 9,292
Culdesac 74.2% 31
Swan Valley Elementary 73.7% 19
Bruneau-Grand View 71.2% 73
South Lemhi 71% 31
Murtaugh 70.7% 99
Melba 70.4% 196
Rockland 69.4% 36
Moscow 68.5% 559

 

Top 10 charters

Charter Proficiency Test takers
North Idaho Stem Charter Academy 90% 210
Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School 86.9% 122
Legacy Public Charter 82% 111
Gem Prep: Online 81.5% 65
North Star Charter 79.8% 327
Compass Public Charter 79.7% 403
Liberty Charter 78.9% 109
Victory Charter 78.7% 108
The Academy 76.9% 334
The Sage International Of Boise 76.4% 296

 

Online schools

School Proficiency Test takers
Gem Prep: Online 81.5% 65
Nampa Online Virtual Academy 64.5 31
Snake River Online 60.9% 619
Idaho Home Learning Academy 59.5% 3,209
Hagerman Virtual School 57.9% 19
Kamiah Online 56.5% 46
Sugar-Salem Online 56.3% 192
Inspire Virtual Charter School 55.7% 174
Bonneville Online Elementary 54.6% 174
Idaho Virtual Academy 54.6% 304

Ed News Data Analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this story.

District/Charter scores

 

Emma Epperly

Emma Epperly

Emma came to us from The Spokesman Review. She graduated from Washington State University with a B.A. in journalism and heads up our North Idaho Bureau.

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