Dr. Brian L. Maher, Commissioner | Nebraska Department of Education
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has released the latest results from the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) and the Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow (AQuESTT) classifications. These reports offer data on how students across the state are performing according to Nebraska’s academic standards.
Students in grades three through eight take NSCAS English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics assessments, while science assessments are administered in fifth and eighth grades. High school juniors participate in the ACT assessment.
This year’s results show notable progress, especially in science scores. Commissioner Brian Maher commented, “This six-point leap in science scores for students in grades 3 through 8 is a powerful testament to the impact of high-quality instructional materials and the incredible dedication of our educators. When we align our resources with state standards and combine that with the hard work of our teachers and students, the result is measurable success. This improvement is a victory for every classroom and a major step forward for science education across the state.”
Alongside assessment outcomes, NDE published accountability ratings required by both state and federal law. The AQuESTT system classifies schools annually as Excellent, Great, Good, or Needs Support to Improve. According to this year’s breakdown, 327 schools (29.8 percent) received an Excellent rating, 393 schools (35.9 percent) were rated Great, 293 schools (26.7 percent) were classified as Good, and 83 schools (7.6 percent) were designated as Needs Support to Improve. Compared to last year, there was an increase of 38 schools—about 3.5 percent—in the top two classification levels.
Chronic absenteeism reduction played a role in improving classifications for 81 schools this year.
The current classification system will be used for the final time this year; changes planned for 2026 aim to enhance transparency and support continuous improvement efforts.
Additionally, NDE continues its designations under Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). In this cycle, 153 student groups within 119 schools were identified as TSI. For CSI and ATSI categories—which are reviewed every three years—schools can exit after meeting certain criteria related to improved scores or reduced absenteeism; this year saw 52 student groups from 37 schools exit ATSI status while three schools exited CSI designation.
Criteria for exiting these designations include better academic proficiency in ELA, math, or science assessments; reductions in chronic absenteeism; or higher graduation rates.
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