“Wide is the gate … that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
-- Matthew 7:13
Weak standards in measuring education results in Mississippi often offer an illusion of more achievement than reality shows.
That is to the benefit of the state Department of Education and others content with the status quo of being at the bottom of nearly every meaningful national learning measurement. Of course, it’s to the detriment of students, who are passed through the system without gaining the skills needed to succeed in college or careers.
The Literacy-Based Promotion Act of 2013 was supposed to be a response to that longstanding problem. The third-grade gate was intended to hold students back who couldn’t read well enough to do well in fourth grade and beyond. The idea was to stop social promotion and get students caught up before it’s too late.
Although there was legitimate criticism about whether it would be better to fail students earlier when there was a better chance of improvement and whether the state had the resources to hold that many students back, it was a worthy concept trying to address a real problem.
Yet ironically it has suffered from the same malady it attempted to fix: The standards have been set so low that nearly every student passes.
The state reported this month that 93.2 percent of third graders passed on the first try. Those who failed have two more chances over the summer.
Yet the law has only required them to score at least a Level 2, out of five, on the state’s achievement tests. What does that mean? Here’s how the state education department defines each tier:
Level 1 — Minimal: “A student performing below the Basic level inconsistently demonstrates the knowledge or skills that define basic level performance.”
Level 2 — Basic: “Students at the Basic level demonstrate partial mastery of the knowledge and skills in the course and may experience difficulty in the next grade (emphasis mine).”
Level 3 – Passing: “Students at the Passing level demonstrate general mastery of the knowledge and skills required for success in the grade or course in the content area. These students are able to perform approaching or at the level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency specified by the grade-level content standards.”
Level 4 – Proficient: “Students at the Proficient level demonstrate solid academic performance and mastery of the knowledge and skills required for success in the grade or course in the content area. These students are able to perform at the level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency specified by the grade-level content standards.”
Level 5 – Advanced: “Students at the Advanced level consistently perform in a manner clearly beyond that required to be successful in the grade or course.”
Only 69 percent of third graders in 2017 “passed,” that is, scored at least a Level 3. And only 36 percent were “proficient, ” that is, at least Level 4. So a law intended to stop students from passing onto another grade if they can’t handle the work allows students who, by the state’s own definition, “may experience difficulty in the next grade.” I wish that were unbelievable, but sadly it’s what’s expected.
To its credit, the legislature amended the law in 2016 to become stricter. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, students will have to score at least a Level 3 to pass.
The more difficult standard is a step in the right direction to shepherding students through that narrow gate that leads to a successful life. Hopefully more than just a few will enter into it.
Editor/Publisher Charlie Smith may be reached at csmith@columbianprogress.com.
