State Education Department Announces Release Date Of Grades 3-8 Test Scores

The New York State Board of Regents yesterday approved a recommendation by Education Commissioner David Steiner to move the release of scores on the Grades 3-8 Math and English exams to the week of July 26, 2010.  Results from these tests, taken in late April/early May 2010, were originally scheduled to be returned to schools by June 24.

Additional time is necessary to complete a study of the revised Grades 3-8 assessments that will ensure valid and reliable information is returned to school districts, parents, and students.  The state assessments were revised this year to cover more content and to be less predictable.

“Our assessments must become better indicators of proficiency and a more useful tool in preparing college and career-ready students,” said Merryl Tisch, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents.

“The additional time spent in a thorough analysis of the assessments this year will provide more accurate information about student progress in July and in future test cycles,” said Education Commissioner David Steiner.

“Our students have already seen the changes in the tests,” said John King, Senior Deputy Commissioner for P-12 Education.  “The exams came later in the year and the math exams covered more curriculum strands than before.”

Last year the Board of Regents called for the state assessments to more accurately measure proficiency against standards, to assess content strands more comprehensively, and to be a better predictor of performance on the Regents exams as well as readiness for college and careers. 

Regents Chancellor Tisch and Commissioner Steiner have asked nationally recognized testing experts Dan Koretz and Howard Everson to conduct a series of studies concerning the resetting of cut scores. These studies will analyze the relationship between Grade 8 ELA and math scores and Regents scores and the relationship between Regents exam performance and post secondary remediation rates.

School districts and teachers were notified last spring that the tests would change this year and, in the case of math, address more material.  Students took the exams this year in late April and May, after many more weeks of instruction than in previous years.  Children in Grades 3-8 also took a field test/audit last week that will inform the studies Koretz and Everson are conducting. 

The additional time spent in the analysis of the assessments will also allow student performance on this year’s revised assessments to be appropriately incorporated into the state’s 2010-2011 school accountability determinations.