Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Monday, March 13, 2006
Your test score may be closer than it appears
Last week I read an interesting story by my pal Patti Ghezzi at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a new process in Georgia that allows students who fall just short of passing the state graduation test to grovel and beg before the state school board, which then decides whether or not to grant exceptions (none were granted in this story).
Perhaps these kids are being way too nice. Danielle Mathis, the prime example in the story, is a top student who scored a 499, one short of the 500 needed to pass, on the state science test and might have to forego college in the fall as a result.
I think critics of standardized testing probably would tell Danielle to stop begging for a favor and go get a good lawyer. She’s got a case. Statistically speaking, she has already passed this test.
Mark Fisher and I wrote about a similar case for the Dayton Daily News in 2004. Here’s an excerpt:
(High school student Tynisha) Edmondson was so close (on the graduation test), some testing specialists said she may have a valid argument that she already has passed the exam.
She scored 198 on the proficiency test she took in March - just short of the 200 needed to pass. That’s very likely within the standard error of measurement that applies to such tests. The standard error, similar to the margin of error in a political poll, means the results could be off by an equal percentage in either direction. (testing expert Jim) Popham said Edmondson’s 198 is statistically indistinguishable from the passing score of 200.
But states and testing companies won’t tell you this, but every standardized test has a margin of error, plus or minus a few points either way. So a student who falls just short, can make a compelling case that their score should be close enough to count.
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