WCSD No. 1 students succeed — WY-TOPP scores show gains for Newcastle schools, though areas for growth remain

Compared with other Wyoming districts, Newcastle’s schools celebrated gains in the 2024 Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress, especially in English language arts and math, and school leaders weighed in on the significance of the results.

“Teaching is hard. Learning is hard. Standardized tests like the WY-TOPP can be extremely difficult and require a lot of resilience and effort,” Tyler Bartlett, the principal of Newcastle Middle School said. “So, we’re excited to share the results with the community and give everyone the recognition they deserve, while also knowing that the work is already underway this year for (hopefully) more success in the future.”

He said that even though months have passed since students took the tests and last year’s fifth graders and eighth graders have since graduated from Newcastle Elementary School and NMS, respectively, it’s still important to recognize WY-TOPP accomplishments.

Reading and math success

Most grades’ ELA scores were in the top quartile (25%) of the state. Students who were in ninth grade received the second-highest scores in the state, with nearly eight in 10 either advanced or proficient; they were 23.53 percentage points above the state average. Students who were in 10th grade placed third in the state, at 22.95 percentage points above the state average, with 73.33% receiving advanced or proficient recognition.

Bryce Hoffman, the principal of Newcastle High School, told the News Letter Journal that the school is celebrating its class of 2028 and 2027 students’ accomplishments in English language arts.

“Something we hope to accomplish is that many students grow, and it was evident in these students’ efforts,” he said. “2028 showed the third-highest level of growth in the state, and the class of 2027 had the first-highest level of growth in the state.

The class of 2027 also had the sixth-highest level of growth in the state in math, Hoffman noted.

“State testing to us isn’t all about achievement but measuring if students grow from year to year,” he said.

Last year’s third graders at Newcastle Elementary School placed ninth in the state in language arts, while seventh graders and fifth graders each placed 12th in the state.

In math, students who were in third grade at NES in 2024-25 tied for first in the state with two other districts, with 80% achieving advanced or proficient,  21.79 percentage points above the state average. Weston County School District No. 1 also had the highest fifth grade math scores, with 83.05% surpassing basic competency, netting 27.81 percentage points above the state average. The portion of seventh graders whose results were proficient or advanced was 14.64 percentage points above the state average.

Science challenges

The results on the science test, which only students in fourth, eighth and 10th grades take, were less stellar in terms of achievement. The district came in single-digit percentage points above the state average, and though more than half of students surpassed basic performance, those portions did not exceed 60%.

Bartlett said several factors make science testing more difficult. For example, tracking progress over time for students who only take the test every four years is challenging. Students taking the tests are also facing the gauntlet of answering questions based on material learned from any of the smorgasbord of topics studied in those past four years.

“Additionally, it might be the most obvious example of how some concepts and skills don’t necessarily lend themselves to standardized tests,” Bartlett said. “Science is a way of investigating phenomena so we can better understand the world around us; it doesn’t always fit neatly into a multiple-choice test.”

Bartlett said he’s proud of how the district’s science teachers use hands-on investigations and experiments to enrich students’ understanding of the material.

“Sometimes the test results aren’t quite what you’d hope for, but we still have a lot of learning happening in our classrooms and a lot of reasons to celebrate,” he said.

According to Hoffman, Newcastle High School is pleased with the efforts last year’s 10th graders made. 

“They displayed the highest growth percent change in the state, and that is important to us that we see that growth,” he said.

Brandy Holmes, the principal of Newcastle Elementary School, said her school’s science results continue to be strong, and the school takes time each year to review scores and identify areas for growth. One aspect of NES education that is especially beneficial to students, according to Holmes, is that its science program runs from kindergarten through fifth grade. That allows Shannon Lorenz-Huber, the school’s science teacher, to take a broad view and make timely changes, Holmes said.

“I’m confident that next year’s results will be even stronger,” Holmes said.

Next steps

The state categorizes all schools as “exceeding expectations,” “meeting expectations,” “partially meeting expectations” or “not meeting expectations.” What determines school performance levels includes student growth, readiness, achievement, equity and English language proficiency. Achievement – the WY-TOPP – is the most heavily weighted measure.

For 2024-25, NES and NMS were found to be “meeting expectations,” while NHS was “partially meeting expectations.”

Hoffman said he believed the school would have “meeting expectations” status because of the growth the school experienced. Still, he recognized room for improvement, which staff are committed to addressing, according to Hoffman. The school’s goal for WY-TOPP testing remains that each student shows growth and does their best, he said.

“Students displayed a great amount of effort on their WY-TOPP tests last year,” he said. “Our staff is grateful for their efforts, as we know it is not always exciting to sit down for long standardized tests.”

Bartlett said he is proud of how students and teachers perform on the tests, despite his distaste for standardized tests, including the WY-TOPP, which is supposed to measure students’ understanding of the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards that Wyoming public school teachers must teach.

“I happen to think we have some of the best students and teachers in the entire state, so I’m not necessarily surprised when the results are generally positive year after year,” he said.

He said he hopes NMS will continue to meet or exceed expectations, as it has for several years.

“We’re still going to look at areas where we can improve and put in the work to try to better help our students be successful in a variety of ways, not just standardized tests,” he said.

Bartlett said NMS continues to challenge students with rigorous expectations and back them up with plenty of support.

“We have a high bar, and we expect all our students to learn and grow and be successful,” he said. “We also have systems of support in place to help those that are struggling. If students are willing to put in the work this year, I think we’ll once again have some WY-TOPP celebrations in store.”

Holmes said the school had many reasons to celebrate this year’s test results. She highlighted the achievements of the third graders, now in fourth grade, and the fifth graders, now in sixth grade.

“A huge part of celebrating is helping them understand their hard work, and commitment to their education is something to be proud of as individuals,” she said.

Results this year placed NES in the top quartile in all but three areas and in the top 10 statewide in three areas. Holmes also noted that the school nearly earned the designation of “Exceeding Expectations,” a significant improvement from only a few years ago, when the school was rated “Not Meeting Expectations.”

The school’s ongoing goal is to place in the top quartile across every subject area. Long-term, it seeks to reach the top 10 statewide in each subject.

Holmes cautioned that test scores are only part of the story. She emphasized the dedication of the staff, who remain current on best practices and committed to meeting the needs of every student.

“These assessments represent just one test on one day,” she said.