Connecticut, although larger in population, may be a good comparison for what Delaware can expect when we release our Smarter Balanced Assessment results next Wednesday, September 2nd. Governor Malloy of Connecticut announced the statewide results today, and according to Jon Pelto‘s blog, Wait What?, the state did not do well on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Pelto writes:
“As designed, intended and projected, the vast majority of Connecticut students have been labeled as failures according the unfair, inappropriate and discriminatory Common Core SBAC math test results.”
In fact, for the math scores, with a high of 48% proficiency in 3rd grade and a low of 31% proficiency in 11th grade, I would consider this an abysmal failure. For special education students in math, only 8% made proficiency, English-Language Learners, 7%, and low-income, a range of 15.4% to 26.4% depending on their free or reduced lunch fee status.
Connecticut has some very wealthy areas, specifically in Fairfield County with many workers commuting to New York City from the suburbs. Based on this, I would venture to say Delaware’s results will be worse than Connecticut. Pelto, like myself, has been wondering when his state was going to release these scores. With the track record of states releasing results, it seems like they are waiting longer to release them if the kids did really bad on the test.
I am hearing low-mumbled groans about some of Delaware’s results, but nothing I can officially talk about. Delaware did not do well on this test based on what I am hearing, but I will wait for the “official” word on 9/2. I am fairly sure the DOE and Governor Markell are dreading this day. Not released in Connecticut are their opt-out numbers. As I always say in Delaware, parents have the right to REFUSE THE TEST if they don’t think Smarter Balanced is a good assessment for their child.
UDPATED, 4:26pm: The Connecticut Department of Education released a briefing on the results. The scores are so bad in this state, they can only compare them to NAEP results from two years ago…
The Season Of Myths 
If most adults fail when taking the 3rd grade assessments, it certainly does not speak bad of our students, teachers or schools .. One must wonder why anyone would give adult-rated (XXX) tests to 8 year old…
The next question is this: .. Does this test tell us anything of value other than it is a very bad test? I mean, adults should be able to answer the questions of a third grade test correctly, right?
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