Utah students’ SAGE test scores drops in all subjects

Information released by the Utah State Board of Education shows student scores on Utah’s computer-based proficiency exams dropped for the first time since the SAGE test was started four years ago.

The data, released by the board Monday, shows proficiency rates for the 2016-17 school year fell for every grade level in nearly every tested subject, which includes language arts, math and science.

Language arts proficiency rates went from 44.1 percent in 2016 to 43.6 percent last school year; math rates declined from 46.5 percent to 45.7 percent, and science rates dropped from 48.7 percent to 47.5 percent.

The data also shows the number of students opting out of the tests continues to increase, up 216 percent since the start of the testing program in 2014.