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Education officials disagree with report
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Published: November 9, 2009
A national study shows that North Carolina had low reading standards for fourth- and eighth-graders in 2007, but had moderate to high math standards for those students in that year.
The study released Oct. 29 is based on the achievement scale of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. Researchers used a method of mapping the states' standards for student performance in reading and math.
"The implication is that students of similar academic skills, but residing in different states, are being evaluated against different standards for proficiency in reading and mathematics," the study concluded.
State education officials faulted the study, saying it overlooked the fact that North Carolina raised its math standards in the 2005-06 school year and its reading standards in the following school year.
"We have already fixed the problems in reading that the study pointed out," said Lou Fabrizio, the director of accountability policy and communication for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
State education officials raised the level of difficulty on reading and math tests, which made those tests more challenging for students, said Kendall Jordan, the director of public policy for the Public School Forum of North Carolina, a business-financed education-advocacy group in Raleigh.
Researchers used the NAEP reading and math scales for 2007 and 2005 to determine the level of student achievement required for proficient performance in one state as compared to other states. The scores range from 0 to 500.
In 2007, North Carolina had an NAEP score of 183 for reading standards among fourth-graders, ranking the state 42nd, according to the study. Massachusetts had 232, the highest score among the states, for reading standards among its fourth-graders.
North Carolina scored 217 for reading standards for eighth-graders, ranking it 46th among the states, the study showed. South Carolina was first with 281 for reading standards for its eighth-graders.
Also in 2007, North Carolina ranked 13th with 231 for math standards for fourth-graders, the study showed. Massachusetts was first with 254.
North Carolina ranked 24th with 270 for math standards for eighth-graders, the study showed. South Carolina was first with 312 for math standards for its eighth-graders.
Two years earlier, North Carolina ranked at or near the bottom for states in reading and math standards for its fourth- and eighth-grade students.
Researchers say that the NAEP is a common yardstick to understand the rigors of the states' educational standards. The federal government uses the method to evaluate the states' yearly progress in meeting standards established by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The study shows that millions of children throughout the country are a long way from meeting the legislation's goal for every student to read and do math at their grade level by 2014.
The National Center for Education Statistics, the Institute of Education Sciences and the U.S. Department of Education collected the data for the study called the Nation's Report Card.
jhinton@wsjournal.com
727-7299
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