The New York City Department of Education recently released students' results on new tests that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. According to a Department news release, 29.6 percent of test takers were proficient in mathematics, while 26.5 percent of students met proficiency standards in English. While these results are far from promising, NYC education officials understand why they were so low.
"We have known for over a year that a higher bar would initially mean lower scores," said Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott. "But this change is important, and students, teachers and schools will not be penalized by the transition. With an unprecedented amount of support being provided, I have full confidence that schools will effectively take on this challenge and students will reach this higher bar, as they have many times before."
The new tests are more rigorous than the assessments NYC students had grown used to. Rather than seeing how prepared kids are to graduate from high school, the tests are focused on gauging pupils' level of college readiness. It will take time, but education officials believe scores will rise as students become more familiar with the CCSS.
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