Borja calls for academic recovery as GDOE test scores show low proficiency

Sen. Vincent Borja, chairman of the legislative Committee on Education, Libraries and Public Broadcasting, said Guam's public schools must move beyond immediate crises and focus on improving student achievement following the latest Smarter Balanced Assessment results.

In a statement, Borja addressed the low proficiency rates among students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 during School Year 2025-26, which Guam Department of Education Superintendent Judith Won Pat reported during her State of Public Education address.

“GDOE is still not where we want it to be. These test scores make that clear,” Borja said. “But we are no longer in the triage stage. We now have the opportunity to stabilize the patient and focus on a full recovery. For our schools, that recovery must be measured by what our children are learning.”

The assessment results showed that 12% of third-grade students met the English language arts standard, while 9% met the mathematics standard. In fifth grade, only 5% of students met the mathematics standard.

Borja also pointed to some improvement in sixth-grade English language arts results. The percentage of students meeting the standard increased from 12% in School Year 2024-25 to 16% in School Year 2025-26.

“Those gains matter, and we should build on them,” Borja said. “But when so many students are still struggling, we have to be honest about the distance left to go. Behind every percentage is a child who needs us to get this right.”

He called on GDOE to pursue targeted efforts to improve student performance, strengthen classroom support for teachers and improve student attendance.

“Stability gives us the foundation to do the deeper work,” Borja said. “Our responsibility now is to turn that stability into better instruction, stronger support, and measurable progress. Full recovery means our students have the skills and confidence to succeed beyond the classroom.”

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