Proficiency Level Rankings
The Iowa Department of Education requires school districts to report measures of student achievement at three grade levels and to set annual student achievement goals in reading, mathematics and science. Below is what WDMCS reports for grades 4, 8 and 11, as well as the Grade Equivalent Scores for Grades 3-8 and Valley ACT scores.

Fourth & Eighth Grade
Their achievement is based on student scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS).

For example: 86.7 percent of district fourth-graders were ranked between the 41st and 99th percentile nationally based on raw scores on the ITBS mathematics exam.

Eleventh Grade
These students' scores and rankings are based on the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED).

Assessment of student performance is an important component of instruction and is accomplished in ways that measure both the quality of the learning process and outcomes. Assessment methods include student portfolios, teacher observations, long-term projects, anecdotal records, writing samples, student interviews, teacher-made tests, standardized norm reference tests and criterion reference tests.

Additional comparative data on student scores are found in the Annual Progress Report.

Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are administered to all students in grades 3-8 each fall. Iowa Tests of Educational Development are administered to all ninth, 10th and 11th grade students each fall. The ITBS measure skills in reading, math, language arts and the usage of maps, graphs and reference materials.

For example: A 5.6 score = fifth grade, sixth month)

American College Testing Program (ACT)

465 West Des Moines Community School District students took the ACT tests during the 2007-08 school year.

Since 1999, 108 Valley students have been named National Merit Scholarship Finalists.