Diane Ravitch: NAEP scores show state grade inflation is real
Last week, when the federal government released student test scores, it was not a good day for the New York State Education Department. In recent months, officials have claimed that huge majorities of students meet the state’s high standards. However, it is clear from the results of the federal test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), that the state is practicing grade inflation.
In May, state officials said 70% of fourth-grade students passed the state test in reading, but last week, NAEP results showed that only 34% met the standard for proficiency. Just a few weeks ago, the state Education Department said that nearly 85% of fourth-graders met state standards in math, but last week, NAEP results showed that only 34% were proficient. The same discrepancies are found in the eighth-grade data.
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Although they make life uncomfortable for state and local officials who prefer to report good news, NAEP tests reveal that New York and other states have a long way to go if they intend to prepare our students for tough global competition.
Diane Ravich (and DianeRavich.com)
… was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which supervises the National Assessment of Educational Progress, from 1997-2004. She is a research professor of education at New York University.
Diane Ravitch
Senior FellowHoover Institution, Stanford University
Which explains why she has the following to say about NAEP
The No Child Left Behind Law of 2001 requires an NAEP test of students in fourth and eighth grades in reading and math every other year. Congress intended that the NAEP serve as a reality check. NAEP tests are the gold standard. Most states have standards far lower than those of theNAEP.