Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Pretty simple.

The current setup has 4 levels. People are allowed to "pass" if they score at least 20 out of 80 scaled points. That level (between 20 and 39) is called "Needs Improvement."

Most of the remedial people in college scored that level: Needs Improvement.

The Board of Ed previously voted to raise the acceptable pass rate to 40 out of 80 possible points. That level is called "proficient" (40 to 59...."advanced" = a score of 60 to 80).

But it hasn't happened yet. in the campaign, Governor Patrick said he'd support this move.

We have the right test. We have the wrong "passing standard." And there's no pain-free way to do "the right thing" and raise the standard to a reasonable level.

Raising the passing score on the MCAS won't mean more students are prepared for college level work if the test does not measure or promote the kinds of skills students need in college.

These tests measure basic academic skills, not the knowledge or skills needed for college success (or employment, for that matter). Standardized exit exams rarely require students to apply their learning and almost never require students to show proficiency in higher level thinking. According to a survey by the D.C.-based Center on Education Policy, only six out of 23 states with exit exams said their test was designed to measure the knowledge and skills needed for college. Only nine said their tests measured readiness for the workplace.

Not only don't the tests measure things kids need for college, but a focus on de-contextualized content and facts necessary to pass exit examinations detracts from preparing students to do the kinds of things required in college, including researching, analyzing and writing about a topic at the level of depth required for a college-level paper.

Clearly, many schools are already narrowly and feverishly focused on drilling kids to pass these tests. Raising the passing score could add pressure and fear of failure and likely increase dropouts in urban districts, but it's unlikely to produce more students prepared for college.