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Saturday, July 12, 2014

Md. Student Test Scores Drop Significantly As State Shifts To Common Core

Reading and math scores on state tests for Maryland elementary and middle school students have dropped to their lowest levels in seven years, according to a Washington Post analysis of 2014 test data released Friday. Some Maryland officials expected the drop because schools are transitioning to new national academic standards that do not align with the tests.

State and county educators said the across-the-board decline on the final Maryland School Assessment (MSA) was largely a result of the state’s move to a curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The new curriculum shifts some academic topics to different grade levels, especially in math, making the MSA obsolete.

Students’ scores had been steadily inching up until 2013, when there were sharp declines in reading and math scores, a slide that continued this year. In 2014, overall proficiency scores in reading and math among elementary students fell 5.2 percentage points to 80 percent proficiency. Middle-schoolers fared worse — 71.4 percent proficiency, a drop of 6.5 percentage points. Drops in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties roughly mirrored the state averages.

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The MSA did not align with Common Core Standards. Students were tested on standards that the were not taught during the school year. With that said, Common Core must go!

Anonymous said...

They were forced to take a test they were not allowed to teach this year.

I am VERY curious on the PARCC test results, since this was taught.

Anonymous said...

"common core" is not designed to teach anything, only to control the minds of the students.

Anonymous said...

the curriculum is being lowered, to raise the median scores of minorities...

Anonymous said...

DUH!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"common core" is not designed to teach anything, only to control the minds of the students.

July 12, 2014 at 11:04 AM

Exactly!

Anonymous said...

Common Core is a joke! It has to go!

Anonymous said...

1209 the story doesn't seem to match your opinion

Anonymous said...


In the words of famed philosopher Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise."

Paladin said...

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-letter-to-editor-msa-common-core.html

Paladin