Credit: Berkeley Unified Schoolhouse District

Students in California preparing for the Smarter Balanced tests.

Credit: Berkeley Unified School Commune

Students in California preparing for the Smarter Counterbalanced tests.

Update: This story was updated on Sept. 11, 2022 to include Maine'southward scores, and on Sept. 27 to include Oregon'southward scores.

Comparing California scores on tests aligned with the Common Core standards to those in other states isn't a straightforward process.

California students' results are among the lowest when compared to the other eight states that have released Smarter Balanced assessment scores so far. Merely drawing conclusions may be difficult because California's student population is much larger and its schools enroll more English learners and low-income students. Run across charts of scores in eight Smarter Counterbalanced states.

"It's not just a straight across comparison," Keric Ashley, California's deputy superintendent of public pedagogy, warned during a Midweek briefing phone call with reporters. "We need to factor in being such a large state every bit we are – a large percentage of English learners, a big percentage of students in poverty. There are a lot of factors that go into place before making that comparing."

The chart shows a comparison of 3rd grade English language arts results on the Smarter Balanced test in nine states. Click on the graphic to see more results comparing California to other states.

EdSource

The chart shows a comparison of 3rd grade English language arts results on the Smarter Balanced test. Click on the graphic to see more results.

I of the main arguments in favor of the Common Core standards, and the standardized assessments aligned with them, was that for the first time it would be possible to compare annual student operation across dozens of states.

Stateshad the opportunity to administer tests adult either by the PARCC consortium or the Smarter Counterbalanced Assessment Consortium, which California chose. Some states ultimately chose other tests.

A total of 17 states administered the Smarter Counterbalanced assessments, and eight accept released preliminary or final Smarter Balanced scores: Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Westward Virginia. The remaining states volition release their scores later.

UPDATE: On Sept. eleven , Maine became the 10th state to release its Smarter Balanced Assessment scores with 48 percent scoring practiced or above in English language language arts and 36 pct scoring proficient or above in math. Maine plans to driblet Smarter Balanced tests this school year.  On Sept. 17, Oregon released its results, indicating that 54 per centum of students scoring at a Level Iii or Four in English language arts, and 40 percent at Levels Three or Iv in math.

The Smarter Balanced scoring system is the same in every state, ranging from level i, the lowest, to level 4, the highest – with the aforementioned cutting scores set for each level – but each country has its own terminology to describe the different levels.

Generally, a level 3 or iv means a pupil has met or exceeded the standards. In virtually states, level 3 is labeled "proficient," while Connecticut calls it "meeting the accomplishment level." In Oregon, it'due south simply listed as a 3 or higher on the state'southward press release regarding preliminary scores. In California, policy makers have avoided using the give-and-take "expert" in labeling its scores, instead calling level 3 "standard met" and level iv "standard exceeded." See descriptions of the score levels.

Not all states have released composite scores for students from all grades who took the tests – grades three-8, and grade 11 – making it harder to hands compare functioning.

But looking at the results that are available from those eight states, almost reported a higher percentage of students who scored at a level iii or iv in almost grades and subjects compared to California.

Compared to the viii states, the percentage of California students who scored at expert or above was the everyman or tied for lowest in 3rd- through 5th-course math and 3rd- through half dozenth-grade English. California ranked fourth from the lesser for 11thursday-grade math and English. (Missouri eleventh-graders didn't have the Smarter Counterbalanced test.)

Simply the lower scores in California may be due to the multifariousness of its pupil population. Andy Latham, director of WestEd's Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation, said states with large numbers of English learners and low-income students, like California, will tend to accept lower overall scores.

"It could be an explanation why proficiency levels are not as high as nosotros'd hope, but that shouldn't exist an excuse," Latham said.

The combined number of students in the eight states was about 3.9 million in 2012-xiii, co-ordinate to the virtually recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics. California's student population was 6.3 million that yr, co-ordinate to the eye.

English learner students fabricated upward well under 10 percent of those state's enrollment in 2012-13. In California, information technology was 23 pct that year.

Los Angeles Canton has more than English language learners – about 350,000 in recent years – than those 8 states combined: nigh 226,000 in 2012-13.

English language learners tend to score lower on tests because they are withal mastering the language. Many of them are "reclassified" out of the English learner category after they score high enough on standardized tests and those reclassified students fared better on Smarter Counterbalanced assessments.

Also, some English learners may get extra help, such equally examination directions or a translation glossary in Spanish. English learners who have been in the U.Southward. for less than a year are exempt from the English language language arts test in California, but they even so must take the math portion. More than 600,000 English language learners, out of three.2 meg students, took the Smarter Counterbalanced tests in California. Of those, eleven percent met or exceeded the standard on both English and math tests.

"It could be an explanation why proficiency levels are not as high as nosotros'd hope, but that shouldn't be an alibi," said Andy Latham, WestEd's managing director of Eye on Standards and Assessment Implementation.

Latham said it would be better to compare California's English learners' scores to those students in other states. Merely 4 of the states released some of those English language learner results so far.

Also, Ashley warned that each state may requite the tests in slightly different ways, such as exempting sure types of questions, making it tougher to compare.

Vermont's scores for English learners varied widely, depending on the grade level and subject. For example, in English language, the percentage of English learners scoring proficient or above ranged from 36 percent in 3rd course to less than 2 percentage in xith class.

But Vermont's number of test takers is tiny compared to California's: A total of 552 English learners took the Smarter Balanced math exam in the entire state. That's less than the number of English learners in a single Santa Ana high school.

Connecticut released a combined score for "loftier needs" students, which information technology defines every bit the combined number of those eligible for free or reduced price meals and English learners. Of the English learners, the state tested those who have been in the country for at least a year. About 31 percent of "high needs" students scored proficient or in a higher place in English language arts and 16 pct in math.

In Missouri, where virtually xvi,000 English learners took tests, most 37 percent were proficient or above in English linguistic communication arts and 28 percent were proficient or to a higher place in math.

Side by side to California, Washington had the second-highest number of English learners tested – about 47,000. The percent proficient or to a higher place on English language language arts ranged from 10 to 19 per centum, depending on the grade. Because about half of the xithursday-form class opted out of the tests, there were too few students in that course scoring proficient on the English language arts test for the country to release results.

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