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THE NEW SAT. First there was the original, then there was the one they rescored years later to soften the blow, then they added writing, and subsequently many more essay questions (and took out that pesky “if this then that” analogy section). Now there’s the wholly new test – results of which are out today – that the College Board has created to measure more than just test taking skills and aptitude but to gauge readiness for college. It’s a noble goal, but still not entirely clear what it all means. However, the number of students who take the test continues to increase, the “readiness” of students for college is only 46%. Why these scores should mean something is well known, but for a refresher read CER’s New Opportunity Agenda.

August 28th, 2017

Statement from the Center for Education Reform

A Special Report issued today by the Center for Education Reform critiquing the annual PDK poll on the public’s attitudes toward the public schools finds poll questions remain highly misleading, the public’s attitudes highly mixed, and perhaps most important and least prevalent in the PDK report, that one’s own experiences highly influence what they want for theirs or others’ children.

“While PDK is a widely respected organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for the traditional public education system, and its annual survey a good opportunity to take the public’s temperature, it nevertheless fails to reflect the reality in American education,” said CER Founder & CEO Jeanne Allen.

“And that reality is that fewer than 60 percent of our nation’s students lack proficiency in core subjects,” added Allen.

CER’s Special Report details the often cumbersome and confusing PDK questions which tend to reinforce the organization’s mission while ignoring the broader challenge – that millions of US children are failing an education that can provide them an opportunity to participate in the future.

To read CER’s report click here.

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On September 26th, Jeanne Allen will participate on a panel sponsored by PDK reviewing the poll results at the National Press Club’s Holeman Lounge, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

For additional details on this and the poll, please visit http://pdkintl.org.

Proficiency tops 51% in math and reading

by Meredith Somers
Washington Times
July 30, 2013

Standardized test scores for D.C. public and charter schools are the highest they have been in six years, an accomplishment officials on Tuesday said should be applauded but also serve as motivation to continue to raise the bar.

The D.C. office of the state superintendent of education released the 2013 Comprehensive Assessment System scores, showing that 48.4 percent of public school students were proficient in math and reading while 55.8 percent of charter school students were at a proficiency level.

“This is a day for all of us to be proud of the direction we’ve taken in the city,” said Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith, addressing a crowded auditorium at Kelly Miller Middle School in Northeast. “But we haven’t arrived. We are not where we need to be and none of us would suggest that we are.”

Results from the comprehensive testing show 51.3 percent of all students in the District are performing at proficient levels, a 4 percent rise from 2012 and a 17.8 percent rise since 2007. Math proficiency levels increased 3.9 percent to 53.0 percent, while reading scores rose 4.1 percent to a 49.5 percent proficiency level. In 2007, scores for both math and reading were below 37 percent proficiency.

“Statewide proficiency is far too low,” D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said. “This isn’t an easy path. It’s hard work every day. These results come at a turning point for education in the city.”

The District adopted the Common Core State Standards Initiative in 2010 and is in the midst of a five-year effort which includes an emphasis on reading and math. Forty-five states, the District and several U.S. territories use the Common Core standards as a way to measure education, although a number of states in recent months

Read More …

Download or print your PDF copy of NAEP Math Scores 2009

Download or print your PDF copy of SAT Breakdown 2011
Read the Center for Education Reform’s press release on these 2011 SAT scores: U.S. Students Continue to Stall on SATs

Latest review shows no improvement, widening of achievement gap

CER Press Release
Washington, DC
September 14, 2011

Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform, released the following statement regarding today’s SAT score analysis for college-bound seniors:

“Student achievement remains stagnant, and we continue to let failure fester in our education system jeopardizing the future of our children and our country.

Over the past five years, our kids have failed to show improvement in critical reading, mathematics and writing. And the story is even worse for Hispanic and African-American students who continue to face wide achievement gaps when compared to white students.

The College Board highlights that more students than ever are taking the SAT for college admissions. But, the dramatic drop in scores over the past five years and the failure to improve shines a spotlight on the truth – more of our students continue to be underserved by their schools.

To make matters worse, recent ACT scores revealed that only 25 percent of the 2011 class could meet the benchmarks for college readiness in all four core subjects. It should comes as no surprise that the United States has slipped to 16th globally in college education attainment, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

We must redouble our efforts to reform our education system and emphasize student achievement growth. Our kids need an education system that works for them and breaks free from the failing trends of the past.”

For your reference, CER is providing a breakdown of SAT scores by GPA, ethnicity and class rank. Get the SAT 2011 Breakdown here.