Saturday, June 26, 2010

TAKS Progress

"Texas schoolchildren generally performed better on the all-important TAKS test this year, but some superintendents, state lawmakers and statisticians are casting doubt on the gains. That's because the Texas Education Agency required students to answer fewer questions correctly to pass most section of the Texas Assessnment of Knowledge and Skills. In some cases, students could pass by getting fewer than half of the items right--an unusually low standard, according to several education researchers. ... According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of TEA data, the state lowered the passing standards more this year than they have in at least the last two years. ... TEA Deputy Associate Commissioner Gloria Zyzkowski said agency officials set the bars high enough so 'students can't pass the test by chance alone", my emphasis, Ericka Mellon at the Houston Chronicle, 8 June 2010, link:

Not by chance alone. That's reassuring. No government statistic should be accepted at face value. I note the standards are lowered yearly.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

They have to lower the standards yearly... they are likely sliding downhill and need to obscure it...

So much money spent on learning... the education "church" is collecting its tithes...