Statement from Chancellor Tisch and Commissioner King On New York State's NAEP Scores

"We all share the same common goal: that every student in New York graduates college and career ready," New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said. "I'm encouraged by the progress I've seen in classrooms around the state and the hard work educators are doing to help their students succeed. But the NAEP results for New York students confirm what we already know: our students are not where they should be. There's some growth, but scores are relatively flat and there is still an unacceptable achievement gap for minority students.

"We're already moving forward though. Through the Common Core, we're raising the standards in New York State. The Board of Regents is committed to making sure New York students are leading the pack. There is still work to do. But last year New York's Common Core assessments gave us a new baseline to work from. Our students deserve a world-class education that prepares them for life after high school. The Common Core will help our students get there."

"What happened in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. can happen here," State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. said. "Tennessee and Washington, D.C. are out in front on meaningful teacher and principal evaluations, and the NAEP results show that those evaluations, along with the shift to the Common Core, are helping students learn more.

"It's just more evidence that New York needs to stay on this road. There are improvements and adjustments we can and should make as we go forward, but we're on course to help our students build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. We can make changes but we cannot change direction."

NOTE: The NAEP results are consistent with the findings of several other measures of New York students, including the state's measurement of college and career readiness (35 percent of students are college and career ready) and remediation rates at state colleges and universities (half of all students entering community colleges are required to take remedial classes).