Achieve Finds Convergence Among State College Standards: But What About Assessment?

Achieve,s new report, "One Among Many" www.achieve.org analyzed college ready k-12 standards in 12 states for English and !6 for math. The key finding is that A critical mass of states has arrived separately at a common core of standards for college as a byproduct of their alignment deliberations. We may not need national college prepardness standards if the states converge on their own. The report then details this standards convergence for each subject.
All this is encouraging but what about assessment agreement? Tests drive k-12 curriculum more than subject matter content standards, Here the news is bleak. Studies by AFT and Fordham Foundation find state tests are all over the map partly in order to comply with NCLB. Some states have challenging tests and performance standards, others are low level in order to avoid NCLB sanctions. Of course, what really determines whether college content is covered is what teachers teach every day. And states have scant assessments for grade 11 and 12 that matter if they exist at all. NCLB testing usually ends at grade 10.

Labels: College Testing, curriculum alignment