Mid-year assessment results show continued academic improvement across Perry County School District 32’s K-8 students.
District 32 students complete diagnostic assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to track growth over the year. Grades K-8 completed their mid-year assessments in December and High School students are in the process of completing theirs to begin the spring term.
District 32 Chief Academic Officer Jane Narrow said data from the mid-year assessments reflected strong improvement for K-8 students from the beginning of the year.
“This is our third year administering these assessments and we continue to see the value of using this data to guide instruction,” Narrow said. “It helps teachers make adjustments that support continued student growth throughout the year.”
Below are some notable highlights from the mid-year data:
Primary Center Highlights (K-2)
Students on grade level jumped from 11% to 40% in math and 26% to 51% in reading.
Four 2nd grade classrooms have achieved over a year’s growth in reading.
Elementary Highlights (3-5)
40% of students are now performing on grade level in math, up from 16% in the fall.
Three 3rd grade classrooms, three 4th grade classrooms, and one 5th grade classroom have exceeded a year’s growth in reading.
Two 4th grade classrooms have exceeded a year’s growth in math.
Middle School Highlights (6-8)
Algebra I students achieved the 80th percentile in national achievement, supported by a high 77th percentile growth.
Overall science achievement rose to the 61st percentile, with grade 6 climbing significantly to the 64th percentile and grade 7 moving from 59th to 63rd percentile.
Grade 7 leads the way in reading, math, and science in both achievement and growth. 7th graders are achieving at the 67th percentile in math, reading proficiency is at the 56th percentile, and science is at the 63rd percentile (50% is average when compared to 7th grade students nationwide).
This data continues a trend of progress the District realized when DESE’s 2025 APR data showed District 32 saw a 5.8% increase in its score from the previous year. Notably, Perry County Middle School improved its 2025 APR score by 25.5% while Perryville Elementary School improved by 23.9%.
“Our teachers and instructional coaches have fully embraced a data-driven approach to instruction,” Narrow said. “It is exciting to see that commitment continue to result in meaningful growth for our students.”