Which Way, L.A.?
Common Core Test Scores Paint a Somber Picture in California
Parents and teachers can't say they were not warned, but the first results from Common Core testing, released today, are still disappointing. A majority of the kids in California's public schools are not performing up to grade level. Poor, minority children do worse than whites and Asians, and the gap has widened.
The State Department of Education today released the results of tests taken this spring by California school children. They cover grades three through eight and grade eleven. They're the first to be taken using computers— and subject to the standards called Common Core — adopted by California and 41 other states. Parents and teacher were warned the scores would be disappointing -- and they are. The saving grace is that federal penalties won't be imposed yet, and by the time Washington decides what to do, the scores might be better. We ask the State Superintendent of Education and others what they're doing to make that happen.
Photo: Michael Surran