Thompson: NAEP Exclusion Rate Ridiculousness

EdWeek's Catherine Gewertz raises the question of whether Kentucky’s success in being the only state to increase NAEP reading scores between 2007 and 2009 deserves an asterisk.

Sure enough, Kentucky excluded 48% of its 4^th grade students on IEPs, and 55% of its 8^th grade special education students. This contrasts with the national exclusion rate of 29% for 4^th graders, and 28% of 8^th graders on IEPs.

The same question might be asked about the District of Columbia. The Washington Post's Jay Mathews recently noted that "A 5-point score jump (in NAEP 4th grade scores) at a time when the national scores are flat is more than enough to keep (Michelle) Rhee safe for another year or two."  Indeed, fourth graders in the District of Columbia increased their Proficiency rate by five points.  But 68% of those students who are on IEPs were excluded, as were 68% of the District’s 8^th grade special education students.  There are now four states that excluded at least half of their special education students from the NAEP reading tests.

Comments

[Nancy Flanagan]

Oh thank you.

Now that Jerry Bracey's gone, who will do the investigative math--and it's pretty easy math--that provides some contextual nuance on these issues?

Are we so stupid that we can't see through this stuff? Have we all forgotten "Lies, damned lies...etc.?"