More of Idaho’s K-3 students were reading at or above grade level this fall than in the last five years.
Statewide, about 60% of students were proficient when they took the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) in September, according to scores released Monday by the Idaho Department of Education.
Some schools shone beyond statewide results. EdNews sorted through the data to compile lists of the top performers at both traditional and charter schools.
As in previous years, charter schools dominated the top 10 overall list. Just one district with more than 2,000 students, West Ada, made the top 10 list for traditional districts. Smaller schools and districts can more easily post high proficiency rates because the results of relatively few students have a greater impact on overall percentage.
It’s the second year that Idaho students took a new version of the exam developed by Amira, an AI-powered reading assessment company. Students read aloud to a computer on the new version, which state leaders say tests a higher level of understanding than prior multiple-choice exams.
A note on the lists: School size, demographics, local funding and other factors can affect proficiency rates, so rankings aren’t an apples-to-apples comparison. Some numbers have also been redacted by the state. Learn more about the statewide results.
Top 10 overall
| District/charter | Proficiency | Test takers |
| Compass Public Charter | 88.3% | 402 |
| North Idaho STEM Charter Academy | 86.9% | 214 |
| Liberty Charter | 82.9% | 111 |
| North Star Charter | 81.4% | 318 |
| Gem Prep: Meridian | 80.9% | 183 |
| Victory Charter | 79.6% | 108 |
| The Sage International of Boise | 79% | 324 |
| Falcon Ridge Public Charter | 78% | ** Less than 5 |
| Idaho Novus Classical Academy | 77.5% | 222 |
| The Academy | 77.4% | 323 |
Top 10 traditional districts
| District | Proficiency | Test takers |
| West Ada | 76.8% | 9,254 |
| Grace | 74.2% | 128 |
| Troy | 70.8% | 89 |
| Sugar-Salem | 70.7% | 536 |
| North Gem | 70.5% | ** Less than 5 |
| Preston | 70% | 613 |
| Culdesac | 69.2% | ** Less than 5 |
| Kendrick | 69% | 58 |
| Mullan | 69% | ** Less than 5 |
| Lewiston | 68.4% | 1,135 |
Top 10 charter schools
| Charter | Proficiency | Test takers |
| Compass Public Charter | 88.3% | 402 |
| North Idaho STEM Charter Academy | 86.9% | 214 |
| Liberty Charter | 82.9% | 111 |
| North Star Charter | 81.4% | 318 |
| Gem Prep: Meridian | 80.9% | 183 |
| Victory Charter | 79.6% | 108 |
| The Sage International of Boise | 79% | 324 |
| Falcon Ridge Public Charter | 78% | ** Less than 5 |
| Idaho Novus Classical Academy | 77.5% | 222 |
| The Academy | 77.4% | 323 |
Top 10 of the 25 largest traditional districts
| District | Proficiency | Test takers |
| West Ada | 76% | 9,254 |
| Lewiston | 68.4% | 1,135 |
| Boise | 67.5% | 5,101 |
| Bonneville | 62.8% | 3,323 |
| Lake Pend Oreille | 62.2% | 937 |
| Lakeland | 61.9% | 1,244 |
| Coeur d’Alene | 61.7% | 2,477 |
| Post Falls | 61% | 1,649 |
| Blaine County | 60.8% | 586 |
| Madison | 60.7% | 1,492 |
Top 10 online schools
| School | Proficiency | Test takers |
| Gem Prep: Online | 70% | 80 |
| Bonneville Online Elementary | 65.5% | 174 |
| Kamiah Online | 64.3% | ** Less than 5 |
| Sugar-Salem Online | 62.3% | 162 |
| Snake River Online | 61.3% | 525 |
| Idaho Home learning Academy Charter | 60.7% | 2,771 |
| Wilder Academy of Virtual Education | 58.3% | ** Less than 5 |
| Idaho Virtual Academy | >57% | ** Less than 5 |
| Hagerman Virtual School | >54% | ** Less than 5 |
| Inspire Academics | >51% | ** Less than 5 |
