West Virginia Public Schools Show Gains in Math,ELA,Attendance following Pandemic Disruptions
CHARLESTON,W.Va. – West Virginia public schools are demonstrating continued recovery and advancement in key academic areas and attendance rates following the meaningful disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released in the 2024-25 Balanced scorecard. While challenges remain, particularly with chronic absenteeism, the state is seeing positive trends in both elementary English Language Arts (ELA) and math proficiency, alongside a gradual decline in student absence.
The data reveals a steady climb in ELA performance, reaching 59.58% last school year, up from 54% in 2021-22, the first full school year post-COVID. Math proficiency also shows improvement, hitting 44.17% in 2024-25, though still below pre-pandemic levels.These gains come as the state invests in early elementary education through initiatives like the Third Grade Success Act, implemented in 2023, which provides additional support in classrooms focused on math, ELA, and phonics.
Prior to the pandemic,in the 2018-19 school year,ELA proficiency stood at 58.5% and math proficiency at 43.8%. While the pandemic caused setbacks – with ELA falling to 54% and math to 42% in 2021-22 – the current data indicates a trajectory toward recovery.
Chronic absenteeism, a persistent concern exacerbated by school closures, continues to decrease. The 2024-25 scorecard reports a rate of 22.64%, down from 29.1% in 2021-22. Despite the improvement, the state’s absenteeism rate remains below standards.
