Education Law

Do states and NAEP define proficiency the same way?

According to our very own Center for Public Education the answer is no. Their latest report The Proficiency Debate: A Guide to NAEP Achievement Levels delves into the question of whether scoring proficient on state assessments means the same as scoring proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The report particularly examines whether NAEP's proficient level is too high or whether state levels are too low.

You may be asking yourself why does it matter if states and NAEP define proficiency differently? Well, just like most educational issues in recent years, it comes down to NCLB. And since NCLB left it up to each state to define what is proficient, many critics -- and even supporters -- of NCLB have decried the fact that more students reach proficiency on state tests than on NAEP. Some have even called for NAEP to replace state assessments so that all students are judged on the same yardstick.

These claims are made without really knowing how NAEP and states define proficiency and why. The two tests are designed for different purposes that much be acknowledged. What BoardBuzz found most interesting was:

NAEP and No Child Left Behind define ?proficient? differently. According to NAEP, ?proficient does not refer to ?at grade? performance.? Rather, proficient is ?the overall achievement goal for American students? but that ?the average performance score on NAEP in most subjects falls within the Basic achievement level? (Loomis & Bourques, 2001). The U.S. Department of Education, on the other hand, is very explicit in stating that for NCLB purposes, "the Proficient achievement level [for state assessments] represents attainment of grade-level expectations for that academic content area? (Education 2007). Simply put, NAEP's standard for proficiency is set at a level we want every student to reach, while states set their standard for proficiency at a level we expect every student to reach.

So before Congress jumps onto the NAEP bandwagon to decry the low-levels of state proficiency, they should take a look at The Center's report. Then they'd know that NAEP's proficient level is where we want all students to achieve, while state proficient levels are set at levels we expect all students to achieve. Now, when you hear that more students in your state scored proficient on your state test than on NAEP, you will know part of the reason. However, The Center also notes that if your state has a larger gap in proficiency rate than most other states it may be an indication you state's standard for proficiency may be too low.

So check out the The Proficiency Debate: A Guide to NAEP Achievement Levels at the Center for Public Education. Also, see for yourself how you would do on NAEP by answering questions here.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 30, 2008 (boomark / email).