Most California students tested below English and math standards in the state’s first round of Common Core-based tests, including a majority at some Sacramento-area schools that performed well in past years, according to results released Wednesday.
The low results statewide – 44 percent of California students at least meeting English standards and 33 percent achieving math standards – were anticipated by California officials after similar outcomes in other states. But in a data-obsessed era, the marks made education leaders nervous, with some warning parents weeks in advance to discount the scores as nothing more than a starting point as schools adjust to a new teaching model based on Common Core national standards.
Previous tests asked students to answer multiple-choice questions on paper, a system that educators believe gave greater weight to memorization. Under the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments administered last year, students often had to combine several skills to solve a single problem and took computer-based exams that grew more challenging as correct answers were given.
About 41 percent of Sacramento County students met or exceeded English language arts standards and roughly 33 percent of Sacramento County students met or exceeded math standards, similar to the statewide rate. Students in Placer and El Dorado counties fared better than those in Sacramento County, with a majority meeting or exceeding English standards. But none of the region’s four counties, which also includes Yolo, had a majority of students meet math standards.
