#ProficiencyMatters for the kids in your life

Does your state have high expectations for student learning? The answer to this question could shape the future of the children in your life—your son or daughter, your niece or the kid next door.

Does your state have high expectations for student learning? The answer to this question could shape the future of the children in your life—your son or daughter, your niece or the kid next door.

Each spring, students sit for statewide tests. The idea is that these test will gauge student learning across cities and school districts. But this only works if states are willing to use these tests to tell the truth.

You see, every state scores its standardized test differently, and each sets its own expectation for proficiency.

In some states, there are large gaps between how many students are reported as proficient on state tests versus the percent who are reported as proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—the gold standard in measuring academic achievement nationally.

This discrepancy is called a “proficiency gap,” and it can be dangerous. A large gap indicates a state is setting its expectations too low, giving students, educators and parents a false perception of student achievement. This can result in students graduating ill-equipped to reach their potential.

ExcelinEd has recognized many states that implemented higher expectations in 2015 to close the proficiency gap. In 2016, several states will be transitioning to new assessments again and have the opportunity to set rigorous proficiency expectations to ensure students graduate prepared for the future.

ExcelinEd’s WhyProficiencyMatters.com website uses the latest state and NAEP data, from 2015, to see which states are closing the gap in reading and math. Check out the #ProficiencyMatters scorecard below or this map to see if your state has high expectations for students!

3-7-16 Proficiency Matters Scorecard

Visit WhyProficiencyMatters.com to learn more about proficiency expectations in your state and what you can do to help raise the bar for student learning.

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