Illinois Exams Deemed Too Easy: Conservative Group Says Standards Low Are Compared With Other States

Oct 04, 07:57 AM

Current Headlines: By Stephanie Banchero, Chicago Tribune

Oct. 4--Illinois elementary school achievement exams are some of the easiest in the nation to pass, especially when it comes to math, according to a national report released Wednesday.

The study of 26 state tests showed Illinois sets the second-lowest passing bar on its grade school math tests, higher only than Colorado. The state's 8th-grade math exam is the least challenging, the study revealed.

The report, compiled by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, buttresses a recent Tribune analysis of national test data, which showed even as Illinois students make notable progress on state exams, they are falling behind their counterparts on national tests.

"I don't think one can look at these numbers and say Illinois' expectations are high compared to the rest of the country," said Chester E. Finn Jr., Fordham's president and an assistant U.S. secretary of education under President Ronald Reagan. "In fact, I would look at these results and say Illinois' expectations are low."

The Fordham report found several states, including Illinois, have lowered their testing standards since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. Illinois dramatically lowered the passing score on the 8th-grade math exam two years ago, which produced double-digit gains in the percentage of students who passed.

The study also found wide variations in the difficulty of math and reading exams among states and major changes from one grade level to the next within states. These discrepancies, the authors say, leave parents and taxpayers wondering what students actually know and whether test score gains are real or the result of "smoke and mirrors."

State education officials said the research is not the best way to track Illinois students' progress.

"We think this analysis is interesting and it's just another way of looking at our tests, but it's an imperfect study," said Matt Vanover, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Education. "It's difficult to compare how students in various states would do on other states' tests because each state has its own standards. What they are doing here is making an argument for national standards, and I think many people would argue that standards are a state issue."

The report is likely to spark more heated debate about creating national academic standards for all students. And it is certain to pump up the dialogue around the No Child Left Behind Act, the landmark federal legislation up for reauthorization this year.

The national study looked at how students performed in 2003 and 2006 on their state math and reading exams. They compared that to how those same students performed on a national exam, known as the Measures of Academic Progress, given to about 800,000 students in 49 states.

Based on those results, researchers estimated how that entire body of students would perform on the appropriate state exams.

For example, researchers concluded 80 percent of those students could pass the Illinois 8th-grade math exam, while only 23 percent could pass the South Carolina 8th-grade math test. About 77 percent of students could pass the Illinois 3rd-grade math test, while only 22 percent could pass the one in Massachusetts.

Illinois fared a bit better in reading.

Of the 26 states measured, Illinois sets the fourth-lowest passing bar on the 8th-grade reading exam, according to the study. But the state has the eighth-highest standard in 3rd-grade reading.

Calling their report "The Proficiency Illusion," the authors contend the yardstick used to measure student progress is too elastic and inconsistent.

In general, states make it harder to pass middle school exams than to pass elementary school tests. Math tests are, in general, much tougher to pass than are the reading exams.

"The concern is that, when state results are reported, you will see data that suggests there might be a crisis in, say, middle school math or reading," said John Cronin, one of the researchers. "This probably doesn't reflect a difference in actual performance, but is really a reflection in the difference in the standards."

Illinois bucks some of the trends Cronin cited, however. It is much easier to pass the Illinois 8th-grade reading exam than the 3rd-grade reading exam, the study found.

And it is equally difficult to pass the state's 8th-grade math exam and the 3rd-grade math test. This leveling was achieved when the state lowered the passing score on the 8th-grade test two years ago.

Vanover said the move was an attempt to bring the 8th-grade test into alignment with the other grade-level exams.

"Illinois has smoothed our expectations so there are no unhappy surprises within the system -- that's a plus," Finn said. "But if they smooth it out saying, 'We are not going to expect much at any grade level,' then I'm not sure that serves the children of Illinois or the economy in Illinois."

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sbanchero@tribune.com

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