Virtually all states have proficiency standards below those of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
There is a wide variation in what states call proficiency; students who achieved proficiency in the lowest 5 states would have been labeled basic in the highest 5 states.
There are 40 cases of states reducing the rigor of their state high stakes tests between 2005 and 2009.
In over half the cases, self-reported (by the states) improvements in student performance do not correlate with student NAEP test score results.
This is from the NAEP report Mapping State Proficiency Standards onto the NAEP Scales at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2011458.asp.
This isn't a new phenomenon. We knew this from the previous report in 2009.
So what should we do about it? Should we make the NAEP tests standard across the states? Would we be better off just making sure everyone knew how their state student achievement reporting compared to national averages and let changes occur from local pressure? Should we abandon high stakes testing? Should we try to get testing "right" and then set national standards?
Please let us know what you think by responding on the following form. We'll collate the results in a post on August 22.
