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Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Cut Scores “Probably” Getting Higher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Figuring out “cut scores,” the number of correct answers needed to pass a standardized test is like nailing a jellyfish to a wall - while blindfolded. In 2004, the ajc fought for and received cut scores for the CRCT. (The DOE wanted to keep that number secret.) Turns out, third-graders need 17 of 40 questions correct on the reading test.
At the time, officials said the low cut score didn’t mean the test was easy, because the difficulty of the test is relative to the difficulty of the questions. The harder the questions, the lower the cut score. Still for most students, the CRCT is a breeze.
Now, the curriculum has been redone and new CRCTs are coming. Superintendent Kathy Cox has said she’s aware of the gap between pass rates on the CRCT and the NAEP and wants that to “inform the process” in developing the new tests. The new reading and language arts test will be given this spring. In an op-ed piece, which is in response to an editorial, Cox says, “We will set new cut scores, which are the number of answers needed to pass. Will that bar be set higher? Probably.”
Hmmmm… probably? That sound you hear is my head making repeated contact with my desk.
Am I missing something?
