Idaho students’ math and English scores showed improvement last school year, but fell short of state goals by roughly half a percentage point.
Students take the Idaho Standards Achievement Test in English, Math and Science every year. The test doesn’t affect students’ grades, but lawmakers, schools and parents use the scores to measure Idaho’s K-12 performance.
The Idaho Department of Education released the scores to the public Wednesday morning.
Results for the 2025-26 school year showed that 54% of test-takers were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA), a 0.8-percentage-point improvement over the prior year.
Math proficiency was at 43.1% — also a 0.8-percentage-point increase — and 42.7% were proficient in science, a 1-percentage-point increase.
Shy of state targets
English Language Arts (ELA) statewide score: 54% proficient. State target: 54.6%
Click here(opens in new tab) for the complete ELA scores.
Mathematics statewide score: 43.1% proficient. State target: 43.6%
Click here(opens in new tab) for the complete math scores.
Science statewide score: 42.7% proficient. State target: None.
Students in grades 3-8 and 11 take the ELA and math assessments. Students in grades 5, 8 and 11 take the science assessment.
In years prior, ISAT scores stagnated and fell short(opens in new tab) of state goals. None changed by more than half a percentage point from the prior year.
Following a new state law, standardized test scores contribute, in part, to a district or charter’s eligibility for increased spending flexibility(opens in new tab).
EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report.
