Washington, D.C. — Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today reacting to new analysis issued by Achieve that shows how state assessments aligned to low standards have misled the public on student achievement, creating a so-called Honesty Gap between what parents are told and how their children are actually performing in school. The report compares proficiency scores reported by individual states to state performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Today’s report confirms again that most state assessments historically have done a poor job of accurately measuring student progress. Parents and students have a right to know if students are on track to graduate from high school ready for college or a career, but that requires an accurate assessment of their academic gains. For far too long, they have been misled. This “Honesty Gap” is inexcusable and holds back our nation’s potential for a diverse and well-equipped workforce.
The bright side is that many states and school districts have been taking on this challenge by adopting better, fairer, and fewer tests aligned to college- and career-ready standards to give parents, teachers, and students accurate and actionable information. This report underscores the need to move forward with the next generation of assessments, not go back to a system that lowers the bar and misleads parents and students.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202.478.6331.