COOPERSTOWN – Students at Cooperstown Central School District continue to outperform state benchmarks, as proficiency levels on English language arts assessment tests rose by 15 percentage points during the 2024-25 school year, reflecting steady growth and ongoing improvement across grade levels.

According to data released by the New York State Education Department, 77% of students in the district were proficient on last year’s ELA tests, the highest percentage among all Otsego County school districts. That far surpasses the state average of 53%.

The increase of 15 percentage points from the previous year at Cooperstown Central School District also marked the greatest rise among school districts in Otsego County and more than doubled the statewide average increase of 7 percentage points in ELA proficiency.

Cooperstown tied for No. 7 in the state for the biggest jump in ELA proficiency levels among more than 650 districts analyzed statewide, reinforcing a districtwide focus on reading and writing instruction across all grade levels.

“These results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers and staff, and the strong commitment across our district to building literacy skills at every grade level,” Cooperstown Central School District Superintendent Sarah Spross said. “We are proud to see this kind of growth and remain committed to helping every student continue to succeed as readers, writers and thinkers.”

The ELA assessment tests are administered annually to students in grades 3-8. Students are considered proficient in the subject if they score at Level 3 or higher.

“Strong literacy skills are the foundation for learning in every subject, and these results show what can happen when students are consistently supported both in the classroom and at home,” Spross added.

District leaders said the results reflect sustained efforts to strengthen literacy instruction through targeted support, aligned curriculum and data-informed teaching practices. With continued emphasis on reading and writing across grade levels, Cooperstown plans to build on that momentum in the coming year and support continued growth for all students.