State testing results: Plumas Charter School exceeds state standards
By Rachel Goings
Public Relations Specialist
Plumas Charter School
State testing results are in for the 2021-2022 school year and Plumas Charter School scored higher than the state’s average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, marking the fifth year of steady score increases for PCS.
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is administered by the California Department of Education and is taken annually by third- through eighth-graders as well as 11th-graders.
Results indicate that 55.71 percent of PCS students met or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts and Literacy and 38.26 percent met or exceeded Mathematic standards. Statewide, 47.06 percent met or exceeded English standards and 33.38 percent met or exceeded math standards. For reference; 39.95 percent of Plumas Unified School District students met or exceeded standards in English while 28.75 percent or exceeded standards in math. Visit https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org for more information about results.
Exceeding the state’s score is exciting for PCS, but executive director Taletha Washburn said that the biggest accomplishment is the school’s steady increase over the past five years in spite of COVID and Dixie Fire setbacks. Scores have increased 15 percent in English and 10 percent in math since the 2015-2016 school year.
Washburn attributes the success to three key factors. “We were able to stay open during the pandemic and offered in-person instruction, we also responded quickly after the Dixie Fire, finding support for our families, students and staff and securing a building to replace the one we lost in Greenville, and finally, we’ve been working hard to streamline the implementation of curriculum across all of our sites.”
Wsahburn acknowledged that there is still work to be done but that the results are a good indicator that the school is moving in the right direction. Sixth-grade teacher Cindy Thackeray added that it is exciting to have tangible proof of the students’ hard work and the effort of all of the teachers in helping them reach their potential. “This is just one piece of the puzzle. I think prioritizing student engagement as a way to help them take ownership and pride in their learning in an effort to create lifelong learners is really our end goal. The Plumas Charter School team, which includes teachers, administrators, aides, and other support staff, puts an emphasis on collaboration to make sure that students’ best interest is at the center of what we do each and every day,” said Thackeray.
Plumas Charter School operates learning centers in Quincy, Taylorsville and Chester. To learn more, visit www.plumascharterschool.org.
CAASPP Testing graph: PCS meeting or exceeding state standard test results 2015-2022.
