The Common Core era is here

As the change to the statewide school rating system looms over us, we need to keep reminding people that our scores will drop considerably. Under the old WKCE system we were at, or were moving toward, 90% of students at proficiency at our capstone levels. We know those levels will fall, probably by 40 to 50 points as our scores are put to the NAEP calibration.

Click here to go to an Education Week article that explains what is happening nationwide on this issue:

In the article it is interesting to note that the "The Michigan Merit Exam for high school students (in addition to incorporating the ACT, like Kentucky) has been redesigned this year to show that students who score at or above the "proficient" level on a subject should be able to get at least a B on the freshman-level college exam in that subject at a public university in Michigan."

The old levels of college prep, such as AP level work, which was in the past limited to a segment of students, is now being changed to a proficiency expectation of all students being career and college ready. This is being defined as being able to do, or be prepared for, college level work in high school. As has been stated by many, AP level rigor is now being looked at as a floor, or general expectation level for all students, in high school rather than only for top students. The Common Core era is here.