In one year Alabama jumped from 22nd in the country to fifth. But interestingly the test scores didn’t change all that much. Alabama, like many other states, is simply redefining what it means to be successful. The temptation to fudge the scores to meet the required progress in federal law is too much for some states to overcome. Gary Palmer of the Alabama Policy Institute says his state could not resist.
“Under No Child Left Behind we’re showing about 65 percent of fourth graders being proficient at reading. When you look at the NAEP scores that goes down to about 30 percent.”
NAEP is a private standardized test most schools take to gauge progress. Palmer says the National Governors Association is implementing another voluntary standard to measure the graduation rate.
“Instead of an eleven percent dropout rate what the new standard will show is that Alabama’s dropout rate is somewhere between 35 and 40 percent.”
Kevin Carey of the Education Sector says Alabama is particularly adept at changing the definition of success.
“And really when you look underneath the test scores, it’s not because the students are learning more, it’s just because the state has gamed the system particularly well.”
Alabama’s rise is certainly dramatic but he says it is not alone.
“Over the last five years states have really implemented a whole wide range of strategies all of which are, in some way or another, designed to minimize or arguably even subvert the effect of No Child Left Behind.”
Unlike cheating students, there’s no detention hall to send state officials when they fudge.
