Compared to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), North Carolina’s tests have low standards for student “proficiency.”
Math 4th grade: 27 percent difference
The percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 41 percent in 2007. State test results say 68 percent of students in North Carolina were at or above proficient (Level III).
Math 8th grade: 31 percent difference
The percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 34 percent in 2007. State test results say 65 percent of students in North Carolina were at or above proficient (Level III).
Reading 4th grade: 56 percent difference
The percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 29 percent in 2007. State test results say 85 percent of students in North Carolina were at or above proficient (Level III).
Reading 8th grade: 60 percent difference
The percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 28 percent in 2007. State test results say 88 percent of students in North Carolina were at or above proficient (Level III).
DPI’s press release claims that “NAEP results of Basic or above are similar to the grade level proficiency standard measured on North Carolina’s end-of-grade tests in grades 3-8.” This is a spurious claim.
FYI. Our low state standards (relative to the NAEP) have been criticized in the past.
