In his second school year at the helm of Washoe County School District, Superintendent Joe Ernst said test scores are returning to pre-pandemic levels.

"We have some good pockets of where we are at or above pre-pandemic levels," Ernst said from his office on Wednesday.

He shared results from the Smarter Balanced Assessment, the tests administered to third- through eighth-graders nationwide in April.

The tests are aimed at tracking students' progress to be college- and career-ready by graduation.

The district saw year-over-year gains in test scores, but most students are still below grade level.

According to district data, 56% of third- through eighth-graders are below grade level in English; 63% are below grade level in math.

Only fifth- and eighth-graders take assessments in science

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