The Non-story in New York’s New Test Results � The Quick and the Ed

The Non-story in New York’s New Test Results � The Quick and the Ed

The Non-story in New York’s New Test Results

by Chad Aldeman

With headlines like “Test scores down sharply; biggest decline for needy students,” it’s no wonder that politicians are sometimes reluctant to raise educational standards: it can make them look bad. That’s unfortunate, because here we have a state, New York, essentially saying that it’s test score proficiency bar was too low and that kids need higher standards. Instead of being praised for being honest to students and families about the academic achievement levels necessary to be successful in college, the media is making it look like test scores went way down. That’s far from the truth.
Before going into the specific numbers, let’s take a pretty simple metaphor. The commissioner of basketball decides that it’s too easy for players to dunk on 10 foot hoops nowadays. We’ve lost our edge in international

QUICK Hits

by Forrest Hinton

Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day.

• Is the federal government “meddling” too much in the for-profit higher education sector? Or are for-profit colleges feeding off the government trough, offering the public little in return? (Minding The Campus)
• Teacher Pensions: A problem for today? Or tomorrow? (Eduwonk)
• Do policymakers and advocates sometimes forget that America’s K-12 education system is three-tiered?(The Core Knowledge Blog)
• Jay Mathews answers the oft-asked question: Are too many students going to college? (Class Struggle)
• JUST IN: Who will Wa-Po endorse in the DC mayoral race on Sunday? (The Washington Post)