New York Tests Flunk!

Diane Ravitch has a great oped in today's NY Post about how the recent NAEP scores further undermine NY State’s claim of great jumps in achievement, entitled NEW YORK'S TESTS FLUNK. (See also Steve Koss’ earlier posting about this issue.) An excerpt:

The release this week of national test scores in reading and math was an embarrassment for the state Department of Education. Scores nationally and in many individual states showed modest gains from 2005 to 2007, but New York did not - even though the Education Department had trumpeted "gains" on its tests just weeks earlier.

Diane concludes that this disparity further points out the need for an independent auditor for New York State test results. For a longer version of Diane's op-ed, check out the City Journal.

Also, see this article in the NY Sun which points out how all the recent findings that the 2005 tests were easier in math and in reading have given strength to the call for an independent audit.