Cheyenne – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has released results for the 2022-23 School Performance Ratings. Full school performance rating data can be found here. A three ratings period snapshot by district can be found here. A Parent & Community Member Overview, outlining the accountability process and additional current results can be found here. 

A steady increase in school performance ratings following the COVID-19 shut down in spring 2020 indicates a promising trend, however work remains to exceed pre-pandemic numbers. 26% of schools improved their school performance rating this evaluation period. 53% of schools remained in the same performance rating and 21% of schools declined. Five alternative schools increased performance into the Exceeding Expectations category, and 35.7% of alternative schools increased one or more levels. 57.1% of schools remained at the same performance rating and 7.1% of schools declined. Additional support is available for any schools performing at a less than favorable level to help them return to excellence. 

“It is very encouraging to see this upward trend in performance ratings for Wyoming schools, and I want to especially recognize the 12 schools in particular that are maintaining a rating of Exceeding Expectations for a third year in a row. While we celebrate the majority of schools improving or remaining constant in their overall performance, we must do better for those students in the 21% of schools that declined in performance. At WDE, we are already actively working to bolster our statewide system of support and will work directly with these schools and districts. We won’t stop until every school is meeting expectations,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder. 

“School performance ratings are based primarily on academic achievement. However, they provide a more comprehensive analysis of school performance by also including aspects of student academic growth (year to year increases in achievement levels) and a measure of how prepared the students are for success after graduation. This year we are publishing more resources for parents to better understand the school performance data and will continue to release education data in a more transparent manner than ever before,” said Degenfelder. 

Notably, one quarter of Wyoming’s schools have moved up one or more levels in school performance, reflecting the outstanding effort of our students and educators. With a school wide focus, Rock River K-12 was able to move from Not Meeting Expectations to Exceeding Expectations.

“These results are truly a reflection of what our entire staff has been working on the last three years,” said Stacie Anfinson, Rock River Principal. “Rock River is a rural, K-12 school, where all teachers in our building are dedicated to students’ success both academically and socially. We’re seeing growth across all of our levels and it is very validating to see our elementary students make such tremendous growth. I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of our students, teachers, and staff at The Rock!”

Skyline Alternative High School in Pindale made a significant move from Partially Meeting Expectations to Exceeding Expectations. Also, 12 Wyoming schools maintained the level of Exceeding Expectations for the third consecutive year in a row. See this list of schools in the Parents & Community Members Overview here.

As part of the WAEA and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools that are struggling most based on the school performance ratings are identified for support from the WDE. Supports include statewide professional development, district accreditation, school improvement planning, monitoring, and onsite technical support. Based on this year’s updated School Performance Ratings, schools will be identified for ongoing support.