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The comparison should be other large urban systems, not the nation as a whole. In fourth grade math, New York City scores rose 11 scale score points since 2003, compared to a gain of seven points among the large cities.
New York City eighth-grade scores rose seven points since 2003, compared to an increase of of nine points among the large cities.

NYC had by the highest accomodation rates in the nation. And most devastatingly for Klein and Bloomberg, there was no narrowing of the achievement gap in either 4th or 8th grade — despite the fact that Bloomberg had testified before Congress last year that NYC had nearly eliminated the achievement gap! He didnt boast that NYC was merely making more progress than NY state. No one would have particularly been interested either way in that claim.

Appendices to the newest NAEP report show that the NYC DOE granted test accommodations to over double the percentage of ELL and disabled students who received such accommodations nationally. This information was also made public in the prior national NAEP report.

I know of no reasons why over 25% of NYC DOE students should have received these accommodations. This staggeringly high number has raised the eyebrows of test and demographic scholars nationwide and casts serious doubt on the legitimacy and reliability of the NYC DOE’s scores.

In fact, the scores of ELL and disabled NYC DOE students on NAEP are so low that one is simply astounded to learn that so many got these accommodations.

One can only surmise that if only an appropriate percentage of ELL and disabled students received testing accommodations, i.e., for legitimate, documentable, reasons – verifiable by outside, independent scholars – their scores would have been far lower. The “progress” claimed by Messrs. Bloomberg and Klein would almost certainly disappear, to be replaced by significant deterioration.

Nice try, but no cigar, fellas! Or maybe you should send another lobbyist to DC to push for stopping NAEP folks from publishing data re the number and percentage of NYC DOE ELL and disabled students granted testing accommodations?

Know what this shows, folks? This shows that students in upstate New York, although the gap is “closing,” pass their state exams as a result of actually knowing something, which is why they don’t need to have 100 reviews on the same format, and how to answer questions the “right” way, etc., to do well on the NAEP.

Our kids, on the other hand, are exposed, as a result of these stats, as being trained to pass New York state exams, because, when they’re tested on the same things, using a different format: the NAEP, they do horribly.

Then, Klein further exposes himself, by saying, “we do have to raise our standards, teach our kids the things they are going to be tested on.” So, folks, now he wants some training on how to do well on national standardized tests.

Joel, if you actually read what’s being said about your performance, why not actually have kids learn what will help them be better people, students and, hopefully, professionals?