Over the past five school years, third-grade students in the Wayne-Westland Community School District have shown a clear and steady decline in math proficiency. According to MSTEP data, in 2014–15, about 35.1% of third-graders in the district passed the math portion of the statewide test. By 2018–19, that number had dropped to just 28.5%.
This downward trend matters. Third grade is a pivotal year students transition from learning basic math to applying those skills in more advanced ways. If they’re already falling behind at this level, it sets the stage for deeper academic challenges in the years to come.
District-Wide Decline vs. State Average
In 2014–15, the statewide average of students passing third-grade math was 48.8%. While Wayne-Westland lagged behind that year, the gap has only widened since. By 2018–19, the state average remained stable at 46.7%, but Wayne-Westland’s district average dropped by nearly 7 percentage points
| School Year | State Average | WWCSD Average |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 48.8% | 35.1% |
| 2015–16 | 45.2% | 25.9% |
| 2016–17 | 46.8% | 28.2% |
| 2017–18 | 45.7% | 25.7% |
| 2018–19 | 46.7% | 28.5% |
School-by-School Breakdown
Some elementary schools in the district performed better than others, but the general trend across the board was either flat or declining. Here’s a quick snapshot of how each school performed over time:
- Walker-Winter Elementary stood out in 2018–19, with 60.9% of third-graders passing well above the state average.
- Wildwood Elementary also performed consistently better than the district average, peaking at 42.5% in 2018–19.
- P.D. Graham, Taft-Galloway, Thomas Edison, and Roosevelt/McGrath all remained below the district and state averages for the entire five-year span.
| School | 2014–15 | 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| P.D. Graham | 42.4% | 28.0% |
| Roosevelt/McGrath | 36.1% | 15.9% |
| Taft-Galloway | 28.6% | 18.2% |
| Thomas Edison | 28.7% | 31.9% |
| Walker-Winter | 50.6% | 60.9% |
| Wildwood | 41.1% | 42.5% |
These numbers show that while a few schools are pushing upward, most are on a worrying path. For example, Roosevelt/McGrath Elementary dropped from 36.1% in 2014 to just 15.9% by 2019 a more than 20-point loss.
Why It Matters
If fewer than 3 in 10 students in a district are passing third-grade math, it’s not just a “learning issue,” it’s a systemic red flag. These are not just percentages. These are real kids, falling behind in core skills they’ll need for life. When early education lags, the long-term impact hits everything from graduation rates to job opportunities. That’s why this data isn’t just something to be reviewed, it’s something to be responded to.
