City test scores for reading and math released today show student proficiency nose-dived after state education officials made the statewide exams harder.
Only 42 percent of third-through-eighth graders passed this year’s reading exams compared to 69 percent the previous year – a 39 percent decline.
In math, the decline in students passing was even greater with just 54 percent of students passing this year’s test compared to last year, a 51 percent drop.
The dramatic decline comes after the state Board of Regents last week opted to overhaul the way the state defines academic proficiency for public-school students. This was in response to a disturbing study that found even though more students are passing state exams than in years past, many are still unprepared for high school and college.
The decision to revise the testing system has all but erased significant gains in scores made by city students in the past few years.
"We are doing a disservice when we say a child is proficient when a child is not," said state Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch.
Statewide, 53 percent of students passed in reading and 61 percent in math. By contrast, in 2009, 77 passed the reading tests and 86 percent did so in math.
Notice what's not in that story?
Any mention of Klein or Bloomberg.
It's as if the inflated scores just HAPPENED.
Nobody inflated them.
Nobody took credit for them.
Nobody used them as a pivotal part of their election campaigns.
Nobody extolled those scores in editorials calling for an illegal third term for Mayor Moneybags.
Nope, those scores just occurred naturally, like morning dew on grass.
And notice what else isn't in the story?
They don't mention how the charter school scores plummeted too.
You can bet they would mention how much better charters are if those scores had been better.
But they're not.
They were shit too.
It's amazing how traditional public schools and unionized teachers take all the blame when things are bad, Bloomberg and Klein and charters take all the credit when things are good.
That's the reality of the NY Post (and often the Daily News and Times too.)
Unfortunately that is also the reality of Barack Obama.
Accountability flows in only one direction under this regime, down toward the teachers.
ReplyDeleteBloomberg, Klein and Tisch have not acknowledged any responsibility whatsoever, nor are they likely to be required to.
Obviously, the editorial boards and sundry power elite grade on a curve.
Yes, Michael you are right. I waited until today to see if any of the papers would criticize Klein and Bloomberg. None did.
ReplyDeleteApparently the test score inflation just happened.
And apparently the op-ed writers forgot about crowing about Bloomberg's test scores for the last eight years - including right up until may of 2010