Paul Peterson and Federick Hess reexamine proficiency levels reported on state and NAEP tests here.
Because of the wide discrepancy between the NAEP scores and state test scores, North Carolina receives a D on 4th grade math, a D- on 8th grade math and Fs on 4th grade reading and 8th grade reading. Peterson and Hess give North Carolina an F overall, one of only three states to receive an F (Oklahoma and Tennessee are the others). These grades reflect how much easier it was to be labeled proficient on the state assessment as compared with the federal NAEP tests.
As the John Locke Foundation has pointed out for years, North Carolina’s standards for proficiency are embarrassingly low. To be labeled “proficient,” some state tests require students to answer only 1/3 of the questions correctly. A student can receive an “advanced” score by answering 1/2 of the questions correctly. DPI and the State Board of Education choose to ignore the problem, opting to tinker with the growth formulas and item response methodology.
The state education establishment should be embarrassed by this, but they have no reason to be concerned. By the end of the summer, teachers and administrators will receive their hefty raises – obviously they deserve it.
