Following a dip during COVID-19, students in Park County School District 1 recorded higher English language arts and science scores on the fall 2022 WY-TOPP assessments compared to four years ago — the last data available prior to COVID-19.

Using a line graph provided to the board, Jason Sleep, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, explained to the school board during its April 11 meeting that prior to Covid, PCSD1 students were up six points in all three WY-TOPP categories — English language arts, math and science. The line graph provided by Sleep gave information for 2018-2019, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. Data was not provided for the year 2019-2020 because the Covid pandemic restrictions led to closed in-person schools that year. WY-TOPP scores did experience a dip in 2020 when students returned to school, Sleep said, but the dip in scores was relatively small “compared to a lot of districts in the state.” In English language arts, students averaged 63% proficiency compared to the state’s average proficiency of 54%, in math students averaged 62% proficiency compared to the states average of 48% and in science students averaged 56% proficiency compared to the states’ 47%.

“The final dataset you see is 2022, that data set is after Covid. That’s last year’s spring data, you’ll see that language arts and science is now higher than where we started back four years ago,” Sleep said. “So we have more growth, more success than what we were experiencing before and again, it’s because of our staff and student’s high expectations.”

Powell’s average proficiency in English language arts was 68% compared to the state’s average proficiency of 53%. In math Powell’s average proficiency was 65% compared to the state’s average proficiency of 48% and in science the Powell average proficiency was 67% compared to the state’s average of 47%.

Based on averages calculated by the Tribune, Park County School District 6 had an average English language arts proficiency of 57.70%, an average math proficiency of 56% and an average science proficiency of 58.30%. Sheridan County School District 2 had an average English language arts proficiency of 69.62%, an average math proficiency of 67.42% and an average science proficiency of 60.11%. Big Horn County School District 2 had an average English language arts proficiency of 55.22%, an average math proficiency of 56.57% and an average science proficiency of 46.54%. Washakie County School District 1 had an average English language arts proficiency  of 61.30%, an average math proficiency of 57.1% and average science proficiency of 56.87%.

Sleep said that based on his data analysis Park County School District 1 was a high performer despite Park County as a whole having a higher poverty rate than the state average. 

Sleep said that Park County School District 1’s poverty rate is 13.22% compared to the state average of 11.4% and the national average of 11.6% according to the 2021 census.

Using data from the United State’s Census Bureau the Tribune found that as a whole 11.4% of Park County residents are in poverty which is the same as the state's percentage. In Big Horn County 12.6% of the population is in poverty, in Washakie County 10.2% of the population is in poverty and in Sheridan County 9.5% of the population is in poverty. 

“I believe it’s because we have connections with kids, So as kids flow through our district, our teacher and administrators, they know them by name and need,” Sleep said. “And some of those needs are emotional but they definitely have the academics down pat, our [professional learning community processes] make sure our kids don’t fall through the cracks.”

Looking ahead to next year, Sleep hopes to improve the district’s performance as it relates to English Language Proficiency for English language learning students at Southside Elementary School and Powell High School where these students exist. This year’s state accountability results showed that according to the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act’s performance summary Southside Elementary and Powell High are below target in this category, in federal accountability summaries Powell High School is below average in this category.

“I will tell you that this fall, I had planned on building a task force, I didn’t get it done and I’m going to get it done next year,” Sleep said. “We’re going to be bringing a group together, we’re going to start studying this at a deeper level, we’re going to go to other districts that do it really well and we’re gonna bring it back and we hope that we never see any yellow again.”