"N.J. raises bar for pupil test scores":
New Jersey made it harder yesterday for public school students to prove their proficiency on state exams--a change that could cause more schools to run afoul of the federal No Child Left Behind Act....... with the changes, passing rates are likely to drop in a majority of tests, markedly in some cases, [Education Commissioner Lucille Davy] said.
In sixth grade, for example, state estimates show the language arts passing rate would have risen from 76 percent to 80 percent this year using the old cut scores, but instead will drop to 54 percent.
In an age when most states are wimping out on standards, one wonders how on earth the Board of Education mustered the will to do this. On the other hand, one wonders what, exactly, this means:
To provide districts some short-term protection against the predicted drop in passage rates, state officials plan to reduce the proficiency requirements considered by No Child--but set by the state.
