Have students finally turned the corner and improved performance in key subjects like reading and math? It would have seemed so, at least according to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, only last year. He boasted of 66 percent for students passing reading, while 82 percent were successful in math, both numbers indicated a substantial increase in scores. What happened that, a year later, caused fewer than half to pass in each category? It is not that the students changed in any significant way, it’s that the tests they were taking did.
New York education officials worked to develop a better indicator of children’s learning, and the resulting numbers were not heartening for those who thought that students were meeting the standards. Merryl H. Tisch, chancellor of the State Board of Regents, said, “Now that we are facing the hard truth that not all of the gains were as advertised, we have to take a look at what we can do different. These results will finally provide real, unimpeachable evidence to be used for accountability.”
The poor, and even dismal, test scores, then, do not indicate a new failure so much as they uncover an old one. Mayor Bloomberg said, “This doesn’t mean the kids did any worse – quite the contrary. What this is simply saying is that we’ve redefined what our objectives are for the kids.”
Setting the bar low may create test scores that seem more positive, but that does not indicate that students are learning more. In fact, setting the standards higher ensures that students learn more, even if that is not yet reflected in test scores. For instance, in order for a fourth grader to be on grade level in math, he had to get 37 of 70 questions correct. Now, he must get 51. If a student went from 37 answers correct to even 45 or 50, he has shown significant improvement, even if, in terms of the test scores, it looks as if he performed more poorly.
While these numbers put schools in danger of being labeled “failing,” under the No Child Left Behind Act, they do point a spotlight on standards. They are not high enough. At many schools in the nation, many students exceed expectations simply by showing up to class each day. This is not good enough, and it does an incredible disservice to students.
A major move forward came this year when over 39 states adopted new common education standards. Although we are far too early in the implementation of these new standards to see the differences in our children’s education, the focus brought to the need for higher standards and the states’ commitment to implement these higher standards should pay off with better educated students in the future.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Friday, August 20th 2010 at 12:14PM
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