Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Fuzzy math behind NY test gains: critics - NYPOST.com


Fuzzy math behind NY test gains: critics - NYPOST.com:

"New York City fourth- and eighth-graders have made little if any improvement since 2007 on the 'gold standard' national math test -- prompting critics to question the hefty gains city kids made on state math tests over that same period.

Just 35 percent of city fourth-graders scored proficiently this year on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a tick up from the 34 percent who did so in 2007.

Twenty-six percent of eighth-graders also met that benchmark this year -- up 4 points since 2007.

By comparison, city fourth-graders' proficiency jumped by 10.8 percentage points since 2007 on the state math tests -- to 84.9 percent meeting or surpassing that benchmark."