On New York State’s math exam this year, seventh graders who correctly answered just 44 percent of questions were rewarded with a passing grad, according to the New York Times.

Three years ago, the threshold for passing was 60 percent. In fact, students in every grade this year could slide by with fewer correct answers on the math test than in 2006.

In math this year, 86 percent of students statewide passed the test, scoring at least a Level 3 (of 4), and 82 percent passed in English, the highest percentages in many years. But the lower passing scores, especially for math, have provided fodder for skeptics who believe the state has made it easier for struggling students to pass.

State education officials say that they have not made it easier to pass the tests, and that the scoring thresholds have dropped for a simple reason: the test questions themselves have actually become harder. As a result, they have reduced the number of correct answers required to pass some exams to make the tests comparable over the years. Read the full story

Filed under: K-12 Education News