by Cynthia Howell
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Friday, June 8, 2007
The rigor of Arkansas ’ Benchmark Exams in the fourth and eighth grades ranks high among such tests in the nation, according to a study released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.
The study compared the minimum “proficient” scores on state math and literacy exams with what would be equivalent scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is a national test given to a sample of students from each of the 50 states.
In fourth-grade reading, Arkansas ranked fourth among the states for a “proficient” standard that was highly correlated with the national assessment, which is nicknamed the Nation’s Report Card and is considered a check of state standards and state exams.
Students who achieve at a “proficient” level on the state exams are considered to be achieving at their appropriate grade level.
In eighth-grade reading, Arkansas ranked 10th in the nation in terms of where a proficient score on the state test fell on the national scale. In fourth-grade math, the state ranked seventh among the states, and in eighth grade math it ranked sixth.
Arkansas Education Commissioner Ken James said Thursday that the results of the federal study validated the work done in Arkansas in recent years to raise standards for teaching and learning.
“I am thrilled with this news,” James said in a news release, “because it means that when students reach the state’s expectations for proficiency, which are manifested in our curriculum frameworks and assessed through our Benchmark Exams, they are in a prime position to compete with students from anywhere in the United states for college placement and well-paying jobs.”
In fourth-grade reading, Arkansas ’ minimum proficient level was the equivalent of 217 on the national assessment. That fell behind only Massachusetts at 234, and South Carolina and Wyoming , both at 228. In contrast, Mississippi had the lowest equivalent score of 161 and Tennessee at 170.
Despite Arkansas’ rankings in relation to other states on the national scale, Arkansas’ proficient scores did not reach or correlate with the proficient level on the national assessment but instead fell within the “basic” level range in reading and math at both fourth and eighth grades. “Basic” is defined as partial mastery of the desired knowledge and skills.
The study was prepared by the National Center for Education Statistics. The center compared the level of performance on the proficiency exams at schools in each state where the National Assessment of Educational Progress was also administered in 2005. The center then mapped the level of proficiency on the state exam to the equivalent scale score on the national test. A perfect correlation would be designated a 1.0, with anything at 0.6 or better considered a high correlation. Arkansas ’ correlation scores ranged from 0.68 to 0.79.
James said that when Arkansas ’ curriculum frameworks are developed by committees of state teachers, administrators and college educators, they routinely use the standards on which the national assessment is based as a guide for the state’s own academic standards.
James said the state’s focus on education improvement is paying off.
“In addition to the terrific work at the policy level, the tremendous efforts put forth by educators and students in this state will push Arkansas to the forefront on both educational and, eventually, economic fronts,” he said.
The full federal report is available at http://nces.ed.gov/ nationsreportcard/researchcenter/statemapping.asp.
