Maryland's testing standards for fourth-grade reading and math are some of the lowest in the country, according to a report released Thursday that ranks the relative difficulty of passing state exams that are required under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
In math, the state standards were the sixth lowest in the nation, ranking between Illinois and Alabama.
"I think it is deeply concerning that Maryland's academic standards are some of the lowest in the nation because it is a disservice to students who have to compete internationally," said Matthew Joseph, head of Advocates for Children and Youth.
The report from the National Center for Education Statistics was intended to expose the broad differences among tests developed independently by each state. Critics have said many states are making the tests easy so that most of their students will be able to pass them under federal law.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress test, given to a sampling of fourth- and eighth-graders, was used as a common yardstick.
The report shows that Maryland students could score in the "below basic," or failing, range on NAEP and still receive a passing score on the Maryland School Assessments, indicating that Maryland's tests have simpler material or are easier to pass.
While Maryland's fourth-grade standards were low, the state's eighth-graders have to pass a harder test. The state achievement standard for eighth grade ranked 21st in reading and 16th in math in the nation.
The center, a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, found that all but two states have standards that are considered less than "proficient" on the national test. South Carolina's eighth-grade math and reading were rated proficient as was Massachusetts' eighth-grade reading.
Maryland's head of testing, Leslie Wilson, was not concerned by the results of the study. She pointed out that the state's fourth-grade scores on NAEP have been rising over time, particularly on the most recent math test.
"We are moving our kids ahead not just on MSAs but on the things that NAEP measures, too," she said.
She said the state may be emphasizing different material than the national test covers, which would be one reason the state's standards do not stack up favorably.
But Peggy Carr, associate commissioner for assessments at the U.S. Department of Education, said the analysis was never meant to compare state standards to NAEP. "What this study does is to allow policymakers to evaluate the relative location of a state standard on a [common] scale," she said.
