Testing standards

Some states are having trouble meeting mandated goals set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. But that can draw federal sanctions and unwanted attention to failing schools.

So what's a state to do? Improve student performance? That would be the best choice. But not for some states. No, they found another way to make it easier for students to meet the standards: Lower the standard.

Several states have taken that tack. The No Child law requires states to test fourth- and eighth-grade students in math and reading every year to determine if they meet proficiency levels. However, there are no federal benchmarks. States set their achievement standards and write the tests measuring student performance.

Between 2005 and 2007, 15 states lowered their standards in at least one subject, and another three lowered the bar in both subjects in both grade levels. New York raised the standard in fourth-grade math but lowered it in eighth-grade reading, according to federal Department of Education researchers. Eight states raised one or more standard.

Easier-to-meet standards mean a higher percentage of students will be considered proficient. Schools will not have as much trouble meeting the No Child requirement to bring all students up to proficiency levels by 2014.

A student may be proficient in one state but not in another. The disparity in testing outcomes becomes evident when the department compared state achievement levels to the National Assessment of Education Progress test.

Thirty-one states with fourth-graders considered proficient on state reading tests fell below the federal measures. Sixteen states with students proficient at the eighth-grade reading level were below the basic level on the NAEP.

Fourth- and eighth-grade students deemed proficient in math by state standards could not meet the NAEP basic level.

States are discussing common standards, but not at the expense of states that have stringent performance requirements. In the meantime, states that lower their standards for expediency are cheating their students.