boy with report card
Floridians have reasons to celebrate when we talk about how well our students are doing and how much they are learning. We have led the nation in closing the achievement gap in many areas, and graduation rates have been steadily rising.
With the help of our amazing teachers, Florida has done this by challenging schools to do a better job and compelling students to set their sights higher – clear and simple A-F school grades and increasing choice opportunities have also been critical on that path to success.
But we have not arrived. And right now, Florida is on the verge of a big decision that will either set higher, honest expectations for our children or mask failure.
I am talking about something called a proficiency “cut score.” A cut score is the line drawn on our state exam, the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), to show whether a child is proficient in a subject. This is important because no matter how great our standards or our tests, if we set a low passing bar, we are not helping our students.
Is it honest to set cut scores low, so students are passed along without being fully prepared and more adults can congratulate themselves for a job well done? As a parent and school board member, I say no.
In 2013, Florida reported that approximately 60 percent of 4th graders were “proficient” in reading, yet in the same year on the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), only 39 percent of our 4th graders were deemed “proficient” readers. This means about 21 percent of Florida’s 4th grade students believed they were proficient readers when they were not. That’s tens of thousands of students who will find out later in life they are unprepared when they cannot quality for the military or must take remedial courses in college.
We tell our children to dream big, because they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Being 100% honest with them about how they are faring academically is critical if we truly want to help them reach their goals. If a child needs help in a subject, let’s tell them sooner rather than later.
While we can celebrate how far we’ve come, still only 19 percent of 2014 ACT-tested high school graduates were college ready in all 4 benchmarks. And in 2012, Complete College America reported that 65,000 Florida freshmen students entering 2-year colleges require remediation.
The state of Florida must raise the bar, and increase its cut scores closer to those aligned with NAEP, so that parents and students have consistent and honest information. If we truly want to ensure their “college and career readiness”, this is the most important thing the state can do.
The State of Georgia, which actually had the worst proficiency gap in the country (ranging between 45-65 points), raised its cut scores on the new Georgia Milestones test to virtually eliminate the state’s gap.
We should continue pressing forward and make Florida number one in the country by not only having high proficiency expectations on our state test, but by empowering parents and students with the correct information about their child’s progress, and the tools to help them meet their academic goals. We must diligently prepare students for the competition they will face nationally and internationally in the years ahead.
Will test scores possibly drop? Sure, but that should be nothing to fear if we care about our students’ futures. I would prefer a truthful, lower score to a higher, cushioned score. Tell me now if I need to intervene to help my child.
Parents, please join me in emailing the Florida Department of Education at assessment@fldoe.org, and encourage Florida to continue the progress being made. Let’s raise the proficiency cut score and be honest about where we are, so we can work together to help our students soar.