Research West Virginia school standardized test scores for the last five years. Compare Pocahontas County, West Virginia schools to all other schools in West Virginia for the same time period.
Research Websites
(1) Identify the primary standardized assessments administered to public school students in West Virginia over the last five academic years (e.g., WVGSA, SAT School Day, WV-MAP).
(2) Locate the official assessment data and accountability reports published by the West Virginia Department of Education for the state level, focusing on the last five available years.
(3) Analyze the statewide performance trends during this period, noting proficiency rates in key subjects like English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science.
(4) Search for the specific standardized test results and performance reports for Pocahontas County Schools for the same five-year timeframe.
(5) Compare the average proficiency rates and scores for Pocahontas County schools directly against the West Virginia state averages for ELA, Math, and Science for each of those years.
(6) Find comparative data or reports that rank or list the performance of all 55 West Virginia county school districts to determine Pocahontas County's standing relative to other districts.
(7) Investigate any significant contextual factors, such as demographic shifts, school funding, or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on testing and proficiency, for both the state and Pocahontas County.
(8) Synthesize the findings to summarize how Pocahontas County's standardized test performance has trended over the last five years in comparison to the overall state performance and other districts.
Pocahontas County vs. West Virginia: A Comparative Analysis of Academic Performance and Systemic Crisis (2020-2025)
I. Executive Summary
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of standardized test score trends for West Virginia public schools from the 2020-2021 to 2024-2025 academic years. It offers a detailed comparison of statewide performance against the specific metrics of Pocahontas County Schools.
Statewide Finding: West Virginia's statewide student proficiency demonstrates a slow, uneven recovery from the learning loss precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, at 48% in 2024-2025 1, has now surpassed its pre-pandemic level of 46% (2018-2019) 2, performance in STEM fields continues to lag. Mathematics proficiency, at 38% 1, remains below its 39% pre-COVID benchmark.2 Similarly, Science proficiency, at 30% 1, has not recovered to its 33% pre-COVID level.2
Comparative Finding: Pocahontas County Schools' student proficiency rates substantially underperform the 2024-2025 state average, particularly in literacy. The district's Reading proficiency of 38% 3 represents a significant 10-percentage-point gap compared to the state's 48% ELA average.1 In Mathematics, the district's 36% proficiency 3 is slightly below the state's 38% average.1
Central Thesis: The data reveals that Pocahontas County is not merely lagging but is actively decoupling from the state's recovery narrative. While West Virginia was celebrated for ranking 11th nationally in reading recovery growth between 2022 and 2024 5, Pocahontas County's reading scores declined in grade-level equivalents during the same period.6 This report concludes that this divergence is not a simple academic issue. It is a direct and measurable consequence of a profound administrative and systemic collapse, documented by a West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) Special Circumstance Review in October 2024.7 This crisis, which resulted in the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) declaring a "State of Emergency" in the county in February 2025 5, is rooted in the district's failure to perform non-negotiable functions, including student scheduling, counseling, grade transcription, and special education compliance.
II. Introduction: Assessment Framework and Methodology
This analysis focuses on the five-year period from the 2020-2021 school year—which captured the first full year of post-pandemic assessment—through the most recently available 2024-2025 school year data.
The primary data analyzed are derived from West Virginia's state-mandated summative assessments, which are required by federal and state law to measure student performance against state content standards.8 These instruments include:
West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA): Administered to students in Grades 3-8. This online assessment covers ELA and mathematics. Students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science.8
SAT School Day: The state's general summative assessment for high school, administered to all Grade 11 students as a college- and career-readiness measure.11
West Virginia Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA): An assessment for students in Grades 3-8 and 11 with significant intellectual disabilities.11
Statewide and county-level proficiency rates, as reported by the WVDE, aggregate the results from these various assessments.1 This analysis synthesizes quantitative proficiency data from the WVDE, third-party district rankings 3, national comparative data from the Education Recovery Scorecard 6, and the qualitative and compliance-based findings from the WVDE's 2024 Special Circumstance Review of Pocahontas County.7
III. West Virginia's Five-Year Educational Performance Review (2020-2025)
To contextualize the performance of Pocahontas County, it is essential to first establish the statewide benchmark. The state's five-year narrative is one of a deep crisis followed by a slow, methodical recovery.
3.1 The COVID-19 Chasm (SY 2020-2021)
Following a federal waiver that canceled statewide assessments during the 2019-2020 school shutdowns 2, the 2020-2021 results revealed the profound impact of the pandemic. Data released by the WVDE showed a "severe drop-off" in learning.2
Compared to the pre-COVID 2018-2019 school year, 2020-2021 proficiency rates collapsed:
Mathematics: Fell 11 percentage points, from 39% proficient to 28%.
English Language Arts (ELA): Fell 6 percentage points, from 46% proficient to 40%.
Science: Fell 6 percentage points, from 33% proficient to 27%.
This 2020-2021 data represents the post-pandemic baseline from which all subsequent "recovery" is measured.
3.2 The "Modest Gains" Recovery (SY 2021-2025)
The WVDE and state officials have consistently framed the subsequent years as a "positive trend" 1 characterized by "modest gains".15 Year-over-year data confirms this pattern of incremental growth. The state board has celebrated "sustainable growth" 1 as students returned to in-person instruction and state-led initiatives were implemented.
The following table details the statewide recovery path, showing the percentage of students proficient in ELA, Mathematics, and Science over the past five available testing years.
Table 1: West Virginia Statewide Proficiency Rates (SY 2020-21 to 2024-25)
School Year
ELA % Proficient
Math % Proficient
Science % Proficient
Data Source(s)
2020-21
40%
28%
28%
[2, 15]
2021-22
42%
33%
28%
15
2022-23
44%
35%
29%
[15, 16]
2023-24
45%
36%
29%
15
2024-25
48%
38%
30%
[1, 15]
3.3 Analysis of Statewide Trends
The data in Table 1 reveals two critical narratives.
First, the recovery has been highly uneven. The 2024-2025 ELA proficiency rate of 48% 1 is a significant milestone, as it has now surpassed the pre-COVID 2018-2019 level of 46%.2 This suggests that state-level literacy interventions, such as the Third Grade Success Act, may be yielding tangible results in ELA.1 However, this success is not mirrored in STEM subjects. Mathematics (38% proficient) remains one point below its pre-COVID benchmark of 39%, while Science (30% proficient) faces a persistent 3-point deficit from its pre-COVID level of 33%.1 This indicates a more entrenched, systemic challenge in math and science instruction that the post-pandemic recovery has so far failed to remediate.
Second, there is a notable divergence between the state's communications strategy and the absolute data. WVDE press releases celebrate the number of counties improving—for instance, noting that in 2024-2025, "48 of the 55 counties improved in mathematics" and "52 counties showed improved proficiency" in ELA.1 This focus on growth strategically shifts attention away from the absolute proficiency, which remains critically low. This communications strategy is valid for building morale, but it masks the underlying reality: in 2025, nearly two-thirds of West Virginia students (62%) are not proficient in math, and 70% are not proficient in science.1
IV. The 55-County Landscape: Comparative Performance & Accountability
The "all other schools in West Virginia" referenced in the query are not a monolith. The state's 55 county-based school districts 17 exhibit extreme performance disparities, which are tracked by the West Virginia Accountability System (WVAS).18
4.1 The West Virginia Accountability System (WVAS)
The state's primary accountability tool is the "West Virginia Balanced Scorecard".19 This system provides annual updates to stakeholders on school and district performance.20 It measures "progress across multiple indicators," including not just academic achievement (test scores) but also "academic progress" (growth), chronic absenteeism, and post-secondary outcomes.20 This data is made publicly available via the WVDE's "ZoomWV" data dashboard.12
4.2 The North-South Performance Chasm
Analysis of district-level data reveals a significant geographic performance gap. The state's top-performing districts are clustered in the northern, more economically robust regions, while southern, rural counties consistently lag.
High Performers: Districts such as Monongalia County 14 and Ohio County 24 are consistently top-ranked. In 2024-2025, Ohio County Schools reported proficiency rates of nearly 59% in Reading and 50% in Math, far exceeding the state averages.24
Low Performers: Conversely, reporting on school rankings notes that "every county school system in the coalfields [is] absent from the state's top performers".14 Data for these southern counties paints a stark picture:
Greenbrier County (a neighbor of Pocahontas) reported 27% math proficiency and 37% reading proficiency.14
McDowell County reported 18% math proficiency and 27% reading proficiency.14
This context is vital. While the state average provides a general benchmark, a more salient comparison for Pocahontas County is against its immediate, low-performing regional peers. This helps differentiate between broad regional, socioeconomic challenges and county-specific institutional failures.
V. Quantitative Analysis: Pocahontas County vs. West Virginia State Average
This section provides a direct statistical comparison of Pocahontas County's performance against the state benchmarks established in Section III.
5.1 Proficiency Snapshot (SY 2024-2025)
The most recent, direct comparison of performance reveals significant deficits for Pocahontas County, particularly in literacy. According to state test score data, 38% of Pocahontas County students are proficient in reading and 36% are proficient in math.3
Table 2: Comparative Proficiency Snapshot (SY 2024-2025): Pocahontas County vs. West Virginia Average
Subject
Pocahontas County % Proficient
West Virginia % Proficient
Performance Gap
Data Source(s)
ELA / Reading
38%
48%
-10.0 points
[1, 3, 4]
Mathematics
36%
38%
-2.0 points
[1, 3, 4]
As Table 2 illustrates, the county's 10-point proficiency gap in ELA/Reading is the most significant quantitative finding. However, a comparison against its regional peers complicates the narrative. Pocahontas's 38% reading proficiency 4 is nearly identical to its neighbor Greenbrier's 37%.14 But its 36% math proficiency 4 is 9 points higher than Greenbrier's 27%.14 This suggests Pocahontas County is not simply a mirror of its low-performing region. It is holding its own relative to its peers in mathematics while suffering from the same deep regional deficit in literacy.
5.2 Post-COVID Academic Recovery Analysis (SY 2019-2024)
A deeper analysis of the county's trajectory reveals a more concerning trend. The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities, measures academic performance in "grade level equivalents" (GLEs) relative to the 2019 national average.5
In Mathematics, Pocahontas County students were already -0.81 GLEs (grade level equivalents) behind the national average in 2019. This gap widened to -1.41 GLEs in 2022 before recovering slightly to -1.05 GLEs in 2024. The net change from 2019-2024 is a loss of 0.23 grade levels.6
In Reading, students were -1.23 GLEs behind in 2022. By 2024, they had fallen further to -1.27 GLEs, for a net loss of 0.04 grade levels during the recovery period.6
Table 3: Pocahontas County Academic Recovery (SY 2019-2024) (In Grade Level Equivalents Relative to 2019 National Average)
Subject
2019 Avg. GLE
2022 Avg. GLE
2024 Avg. GLE
2022-2024 Change
2019-2024 Net Change
Data Source(s)
Mathematics
-0.81
-1.41
-1.05
+0.36
-0.23
6
Reading
N/A
-1.23
-1.27
-0.04
N/A
6
5.3 The "Great Decoupling"
The data in Table 3 leads to the report's most critical analytical finding. In February 2025, the WVBE received an overview of the Harvard Education Recovery Scorecard, which celebrated West Virginia's "accelerated" academic recovery between 2022 and 2024. Statewide, this performance ranked 11th in the nation for growth in reading.5
However, during that exact same 2022-2024 period, Pocahontas County's reading scores declined by 0.04 grade level equivalents.6
This direct contradiction demonstrates with statistical certainty that a severe, county-level factor completely overrode and negated any positive momentum from state-level interventions. Pocahontas County is not just lagging the state's recovery; it is on an opposite trajectory.
VI. A District in Crisis: The 2025 Pocahontas County State of Emergency
The county-specific factor explaining the data in Section V is a comprehensive administrative collapse. The test scores are the symptom; the institutional failure is the disease.
6.1 The Declaration of Emergency
In February 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education declared a "State of Emergency" for Pocahontas County Schools.5 This extraordinary step was taken as a direct result of an October 2024 "Special Circumstance Review" conducted by the WVDE. This review, which focused on Pocahontas County High School (PCHS), was initiated at the request of the county's new superintendent, Lynne Bostic, who had identified significant concerns.5
6.2 Key Findings of the October 2024 Special Circumstance Review
The WVDE review revealed a comprehensive failure of the most basic administrative and educational functions necessary to operate a school system. Key findings 5 included:
Leadership and Support: School leaders were found to "lack expertise," and the county had provided "inadequate mentorship or support" to the new high school principal.
Counseling and Scheduling: The district failed to develop student schedules in advance of the 2024-2025 school year. There was "no process to develop student personal education plans (PEPs)," a state-mandated tool for college and career readiness.
Grading and Data Integrity: The review found "inconsistencies in course codes," "inaccurate transfer credits" on student transcripts, and an inconsistent process for grade changes that created the potential for "pressure from parents."
Special Education: The district's special education processes "did not meet state or federal standards".5 The review identified "systemic findings with less than 80% compliance" in Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), including failure to conduct annual reviews and failure to deliver services as stipulated.7
6.3 Causal Analysis: Connecting Systemic Failure to Student Performance
This administrative collapse provides the direct explanation for Pocahontas County's divergent test scores.
The 10-point ELA proficiency gap and the county's declining reading scores (shown in Table 3) are the logical outcome of a district in crisis. When a school system fails to comply with federal special education law, it means students with disabilities are not receiving their legally mandated support, including reading interventions. This failure to serve the most vulnerable learners directly suppresses proficiency averages.
Furthermore, the review documents a system consumed by foundational chaos. The former superintendent admitted in August 2024 that "a significant number of students who are not on track [to graduate]".25 When a district cannot perform basic functions like creating student schedules, ensuring grade integrity, or providing counseling, it is impossible to focus on improving academic instruction. Pocahontas County's poor test scores are not a story of "learning loss"; they are the product of profound, top-down institutional failure.
VII. Compounding Factors: Socioeconomics and Systemic Challenges
The administrative crisis in Pocahontas County did not occur in a vacuum. It occurred in a district with pre-existing, severe vulnerabilities that create a low margin for error.
7.1 The Pocahontas County Demographic Context
Pocahontas County is one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in West Virginia, with only 7,869 residents as of the 2020 census.26 This small population must support a school district facing significant socioeconomic challenges.
Table 4: Key Socioeconomic Indicators: Pocahontas County vs. West Virginia & U.S.
Indicator
Pocahontas County
West Virginia
United States
Data Source(s)
Population (2020)
7,869
~1.79M
~331M
26
Persons Below Poverty Line (%)
20.8%
16.6%
12.4%
27
Bachelor's Degree or Higher (%)
15.8%
23.3%
35.0%
27
On-time H.S. Graduation (%)
92.5%
88.3%
83.5%
28
As Table 4 shows, the county's poverty rate is significantly higher than the state average, and its adult educational attainment is drastically lower than both the state and national levels.27
7.2 The West Virginia Funding Context
These local challenges are compounded by a weak state funding environment. In 2023, West Virginia's per-pupil spending ($14,575) ranked 32nd nationally and was the "worst among the states in its region".29 Furthermore, the state's core funding formula, the Public School Support Plan (PSSP), has declined by 11% since 2009 after adjusting for inflation.29 This leaves rural, high-poverty districts with little financial flexibility.
7.3 A "Low-Margin-for-Error" System
This socioeconomic and funding context creates a "low-margin-for-error" environment. The WVDE review noted that PCHS "lacked a certified school counselor... and no qualified replacement had been found despite multiple advertisements".7
A high-wealth district (like Monongalia or Ohio counties) could use local funds or its reputation to quickly fill such a critical vacancy. Pocahontas County, with high poverty 27 and reliance on a shrinking state funding pool 29, cannot compete. This led to a cascade failure: the inability to hire one person (the counselor) resulted in the collapse of multiple, interconnected systems, including PEPs, student advisement, and master scheduling.5
This context also helps explain the glaring contradiction in the county's data: an on-time graduation rate of 92.5% 28 coexists with the superintendent's warning that students are "in jeopardy" of not graduating 25 and the WVDE's findings of "inaccurate" credits.7 The most logical conclusion is that the 92.5% graduation rate is invalid. It is likely a product of the same data integrity failures and lack of administrative oversight that the state review uncovered.
VIII. Consolidated Findings and Conclusion
Finding 1 (Statewide): West Virginia's statewide test scores (SY 2020-2025) show a slow, uneven post-COVID recovery. ELA (48% proficient) has surpassed pre-COVID levels, but Math (38%) and Science (30%) have not.1
Finding 2 (Comparative): Pocahontas County (38% Reading, 36% Math) massively underperforms the state average in ELA (-10 points) while performing only slightly below the state's low average in Math (-2 points).1
Finding 3 (The Core Thesis): Pocahontas County's performance is decoupling from the state. While West Virginia ranked 11th nationally for growth in reading recovery from 2022-2024 5, Pocahontas County's reading scores declined during the same period.6
Finding 4 (The Explanation): This statistical decoupling is a direct consequence of a profound administrative collapse, as documented by the WVDE's October 2024 Special Circumstance Review.7 The "State of Emergency" 5 was declared due to a failure in non-negotiable functions: no counseling, no functional scheduling, improper grading, and non-compliance with federal special education law.
Finding 5 (The Context): This administrative crisis was a cascade failure in a "low-margin-for-error" district, precipitated by the county's high-poverty, low-educational-attainment demographics 27 and an inability to compete for critical staff in a constrained state funding environment.29
Conclusion: The comparison of standardized test scores reveals a story far deeper than simple academic performance. The data shows Pocahontas County is not just behind "all other schools in West Virginia"; it is on an entirely different and negative trajectory. The test scores are merely the final, measurable symptom of a foundational, structural crisis. Therefore, academic recovery in Pocahontas County is not possible through simple instructional interventions. It is contingent upon a complete administrative and systemic rebuild, as mandated by the West Virginia Board of Education's State of Emergency, to restore the most basic functions of a public school system.
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