On Top of the News
Don’t Fall For Easy Catchphrases Like ‘Race to the Bottom’
The Grade/Washington Monthly | 1/3/16

Behind the Headline
States Raise Proficiency Standards in Math and Reading
Education Next | Summer 2015

On “The Grade,” Alexander Russo takes a close look at the frequently stated claim that under NCLB,  states lowered their standards in a “race to the bottom.”

Did states lower their expectations on standardized testing in order to improve their proficiency rates on annual report cards, Russo wonders. He reviews several studies and concludes — surprise — that the picture is actually much more mixed.

Education Next has published an analysis of the rigor of state proficiency standards each year. The most recent analysis found many states raising the bar, perhaps in response to Common Core. Even in earlier years many states were raising their standards while some, it is true, were lowering them.

Links to the Ed Next analyses of proficiency standards over time can be found here under the heading “State Standards.”

– Education Next