Bruce Buchanan, one of the state?s best education reporters, has a good piece in today?s Greensboro News & Record explaining the background of the state board of education?s decision not to throw out the ABC results for sixth-grade despite concerns about the measurement of annual growth. He picks up on a key point (as usual) that other media missed:
Part of the problem — perhaps a major part — comes from the state’s decision not to make test score questions public after the exams are given.
Most other standardized tests, including the SAT and state tests given in Ohio and Texas, are released to the public after students take them. That way, parents and independent experts can determine if the test questions are appropriate.
But North Carolina reuses its test questions, and state officials keep them secret, despite mounting pressure. The News & Record recently filed a public records request for the end-of-grade test questions, but the N.C. Department of Public Instruction has refused to comply.
Excellent. Perhaps other folks should make the same public-records request. . .
