Grade Curve?

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “There are no facts, only interpretations.” While I believe his relativistic views were (and still are) inaccurate, they nevertheless highlight the power of interpretation to “explain away” facts and data. In the world of education, subjective explanations abound, particularly with regard to student performance results. The result is a confusing maze of data, leaving most parents to scratch their heads in perplexity.

Consider the following flurry of contradictory test results. On December 1st, the National Center for Education Statistics released 2005 results for the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) − a comparison of fourth and eighth grade NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores in 11 urban school systems. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) outperformed the 10 other school systems in 3 out of 4 categories. A front-page story in the Charlotte Observer quickly followed, crowing about CMS’ position at the “top of [the] class.”

On December 6th, the North Carolina Report Card’s 2004-05 Report − providing comprehensive data on each school and system in the state − was released. This publication draws data from the North Carolina state tests: End of Grade (EOG) exams for 3rd-8th grades, and End of Course (EOC) tests for 9th-12th grades. On the EOG measure, CMS fell below the state average in overall achievement; CMS students performed far below state averages on EOC tests. CMS’ poor high school performance must make residents recall Judge Manning’s http://www.nceducationalliance.org/journal/display.html?id=2527 earlier charges of “academic genocide” levied at some of the district’s failing high schools. Another Charlotte Observer story followed, this time detailing the lagging performance of Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schoolers.

Clearly, deciphering this conflicting data is complicated by the fact that the tests themselves disagree. North Carolina claims to have a much higher percentage of proficient students (based on state tests) than NAEP data would indicate. state tests show 82.4 percent of 4th graders reading at proficient levels, while NAEP finds only 36 percent proficient. This discrepancy has been a matter of controversy for years, and shows no indication of abating any time soon. Skeptics who question the state tests are supported by data from organizations like Education Next, which gives North Carolina a D- for test rigor.

So how are our schools really doing? The unvarnished answer is that both CMS and the state are making slow academic progress. Even with progress in Charlotte/Mecklenburg schools, 67 percent of 4th graders are still considered below NAEP’s proficiency level. Many of our students (in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and statewide) still perform at unacceptably low levels, especially in our high schools.

Clearly, we have a long way to go. State schools − by any statistical yardstick − aren’t consistently making the grade. There’s no question that we need better and more reliable state tests. But even with a clear diagnosis of our educational shortcomings, we’ll still be left with an indisputable reality: no one school can possibly meet the needs of all students. That’s why North Carolina parents need the freedom to choose the school that best meets their child’s individual needs. As the ultimate “interpreters” of their child’s success or failure, parents (and not school boards) are best equipped to choose wisely and choose well.

To learn more about education testing, as well as the latest education news, visit the Alliance online at nceducationalliance.org. Check out the “Headlines” section of our home page, updated daily with articles from every major newspaper in the state. At the Alliance, we are committed to keeping you informed and empowered as we join together to improve education for the children of North Carolina.