Tucson, Arizona | Published: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/186307
WASHINGTON — Students are doing better on state reading and math tests since
the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted five years ago, according to a
report Tuesday.
Students made the most progress on elementary school math tests, according
to the report by the Center on Education Policy, a national nonprofit policy
group.
The report focused on states where trend data are available. Some states
have changed tests in recent years, making it impossible to compare
year-to-year results.
The report found moderate to large gains in 37 of the 41 states with trend
data on the percentage of kids hitting the proficient mark on elementary
school math tests. None of the states showed comparable declines.
A goal of No Child Left Behind requiresall kids to be proficient in reading
and math, or working on grade level, by 2014.
Another goal is to narrow achievement gaps between children from low-income
families and wealthier ones and between minorities and white students. The
new report found gaps have narrowed since the law was passed.
Specifically, the study found that, in 14 of 38 states, gaps narrowed on
reading tests between black and white students at the elementary and
secondary levels. No state reported a comparable widening of the gap.
In math, a dozen states showed a narrowing racial achievement gap at the
elementary and secondary grade levels. Only Washington state showed a
widening of that gap.
Results were generally similar for Hispanic and low-income groups, according
to the report.
local angle
Researchers were unable to effectively analyze student assessment scores
in Arizona because of changes to the definition of "proficient" under
the state's accountability test, called Arizona's Instrument to Measure
Standards. Limited to scores from 2005 and 2006, the findings were not
favorable.
The Center on Education Policy found that math and reading scores
declined in most grade levels from 2005 to 2006. Only fourth-grade
students improved in math and reading.
Researchers were unable to measure the gap among low-income, special
education or English-Language-Learner students. Grouping students by
race, no gap consistently narrowed or widened across grades four, eight,
or 10 in reading or math, the report states.
George B. Sánchez
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