The report looked at how three contiguous states, which had relatively equivalent passing rates on their state tests, compare. What the analysis showed was that if a student who was considered to have met a passing standard in Georgia or North Carolina moved across the state line to South Carolina, she might be considered a failing student.
The same might be true of a student passing state tests in Maryland who moves to Massachusetts or South Carolina, where standards are higher.
"Whether that is right or wrong is not the judgment we are making. It is just so different," said Carr.
The report did not try to assess how difficult each state's standards should be, Carr said, but it points out the vast differences between state tests and what is considered to be proficient. She said it is up to policymakers in each state to determine where the line is drawn.
Policymakers may soon be confronting that issue as they struggle with developing common national standards in the coming months. A majority of states have signed on to develop a common curriculum and test, which are under development and would be voluntary. Maryland education officials appear prepared to sign on.
Wilson said Maryland is looking ahead to the common core standards and little attention will be paid to changing the MSAs. A common national test could become a reality in two to three years.
The report also tracked changes in state tests between 2005 and 2007 and found that about half of the states changed their tests during the period and most of those tests were made easier. Maryland was not one of the states that changed its test.
States have an incentive to have low standards because under No Child Left Behind, all children are expected to be able to pass their state's test by 2014 or the state will be identified as not meeting federal requirements.
Maryland's former test, the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program, was considered much more rigorous than the current test, but it was not designed under the assumption that all students would have to pass it.
