Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the test that the adults took was actually just a portion of the problems on the actual test, presumably chosen because they were particularly difficult. If this was the case, then the scores the adults received on the test are totally irrelevant to anything.

"If all of that is true, that's a failure of the curriculum at the school. If the state's board of education and other leaders feel the questions on the test are relevant for students to know at the time of the test, then the school should adequately prepare the students for the test."

Yes, the wisdom of the central planners. And out the window goes the oft repeated promise that curriculum would not be changed (dumbed down) to teach to the test. Campbell's Law anyone?

Russ - I'm just curious - why do you oppose central planning in school curriculum but you support it for the purpose of government picking winners and losers in the local economy? Is the progressive "experts in a room" model of public policy valid, or isn't it?

Gotta love the chutzpah of Rhode Island legislators, i.e. it's not reasonable to expect anyone to know more than I do!

These legislators show exactly the disconnect that exists between GA members and the real world. They draw conclusions about things with almost no information and will cling to their beliefs to the detriment of everyone. Just listen to the tsunami of ignorance that floods through the chambers when they try to debate issues! Back to my old Tarzan quote, "Why people stay?"

Was just pointing that out to you since you normally oppose this kind of thing.

I actually don't think "central planning" is the problem. I just think in this case they're running in the wrong direction, one not likely to lead to improvement in student performance or in the quality of educators. I could image a coordinated approach that I would support.

My daughter attended a school that was highly lauded two years ago for their significant progress in improving their NECAP scores...the reason...highly increased focus by the faculty at teaching specifically to the tests. Nice, right? Not for the students who had to sit through weeks and weeks of instruction on concepts for which they were already proficient. I think Standardized testing has it's merits and may be appropriate for benchmarking purposes but as a graduation standard? I think it has some unintended consequences. I'm admitedly not an educator, just an involved parent. JTR

JTR, I think that's what we can teaching to the least common denominator. So the poor kids who are prepared get to waste valuable time waiting for the teachers (and the rest of the class) to catch up to them. Who wins? NO ONE!

Oh sorry, Gist gets her doctorate based on her great RI experiment.

Here's my take on this:

A bunch of liberal RI "community leaders" can't pass a math test.

Is that such a shock?

Looked at the state of RI's economy lately?

Let's turn the tables . . . put a bunch of high school juniors in charge of RI for a week . . . could they do any worse running things than the folks who sat for the test have done?

The liberal answer to the lack of proficiency among our high school students is to dumb down the standards and give the teachers a big raise along with free reign and no accountability. Sounds like a plan.

Did you see the list of "adults" who took this test??
Just confirms what we've always known.
Like shootin' fish in a barrel
Too too funny.

Perhaps e can make passing this test a requirement to be a state representative. Please.