Proficiency 50 Different Ways

No Child Left Behind (still) requires states to develop their own assessments and set proficiency standards to measure student achievement. Since each state controls its own cut scores for determining what "proficiency" means there is great variation among the states. A few years back, as I recall, Louisiana set their reading cut scores sufficiently low that bayou students scored second highest in the US. The problem was that NAEP revealed the actual performance to be among the lowest. Such variations obfuscate actual achievement levels of students across the United States and confuse the public.

In the new K-Prep Assessment, Kentucky is looking to jack up it's standards.

This from Dr H's blog:

Since 2003, NCES has supported research to compare the proficiency standards of NAEP with those of individual states. The latest report was recently released and is available http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/studies/statemapping/.

What did this year’s report tell us about Kentucky’s and other states’ assessments as compared to NAEP results?

· In grade 4 reading, 35 states have proficiency cut scores that are below the basic cut score on NAEP. Fifteen states have proficiency cut scores between basic and proficient. No state has a cut score for proficient that equals the NAEP proficiency cut score. Kentucky has the 17th-highest cut score on this comparison, and it is slightly below the basic level on NAEP.  

· In grade 8 reading, 16 states are below NAEP’s basic level, and 34 states are between basic and proficient on the NAEP scale. No state has a proficiency score equal to or above NAEP proficiency levels. Kentucky ranks 12th among the states, and the Kentucky proficient level is between the NAEP basic and proficient levels.  

· In grade 4 math, seven states have proficient cut scores below the NAEP basic level; one state (Massachusetts) has a proficient cut score at or above NAEP proficient cut score; and 42 states are between basic and proficient. Kentucky ranks 22nd and is between basic and proficient.  

· In grade 8 math, Kentucky ranks 15th and is between basic and proficient. Massachusetts is the only state with proficient cut scores at or above the NAEP proficient level.

What does this mean? Kentucky’s cut scores for our state assessments are, for the most part, in the top third of states, and when compared to NAEP levels, our cut scores are between basic and proficient levels...

Commissioner Holliday says he will recommend tougher proficiency cut scores for the new exams, now in development, that will link closely to college/career readiness. That means that percentages of Kentucky students labeled "proficient" will drop from 2011 to 2012. It's what always happens when a state raises cut scores significantly. Holliday says, "This is the right thing to do for our children and their future."