(Radio Iowa) – The state’s new “Math Counts Act” requires Iowa schools to start screening students’ math skills three times each year. Katie Black, principal at North Union Elementary in Fenton, says schools have been testing students’ literacy skills three times a year.  “Just kind of piggy backing on that to really try to enhance some of the math scores in this state,” Black says. Black’s district has used a computerized test for literacy that varies the difficulty and order of questions based on a student’s answers. It will use the same type of test for math — and follow up, as the new law requires, with plans to improve the math skills of each student who lags behind their grade level.

“We’ll use that data moving forward and we will make sure that we are following what it is telling us and providing whole class instruction and also intervention for students to make sure they’re getting not only in reading, but also in math as they truck on through the school year here,” Black says.

The 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress found large reading gains among students from low income households, but Iowa 4th graders ranked 30th among the states and 8th graders ranked 23rd.