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States Still Differ Dramatically In Their Academic Expectations, Study Finds
7/9/15 | Huffington Post

Behind the Headline
States Raise Proficiency Standards in Math and Reading
Summer 2015 | Education Next

A new report released by the National Center for Education Statistics finds that states vary in where they set their proficiency standards, reports Joy Resmovits. The study converted states’ cutoff scores on their own 2012-2013 state tests to where those scores would fall on the NAEP scale.

Most states set their standards within NAEP’s “basic” range, and very few state standards measured up to NAEP’s aspirational proficiency standard, which measures “mastery over challenging subject matter.” In fourth-grade reading, though, most states set their cutoff for proficiency below NAEP’s “basic” level.

The number of states raising their standards has increased over time, likely a result of the adoption of the Common Core, Resmovits writes.

Paul E. Peterson and Matthew Ackerman conducted a similar analysis for Education Next earlier this year and came to similar conclusions, so if you are a regular reader of Education Next, you already know about this!

– Education Next