Michigan reading, math tests too easy?

Standards score low in comparative report, which officials say is flawed and at odds with other studies.

Jennifer Mrozowski / The Detroit News

A national report released Wednesday shows that Michigan's definition of proficiency on the state's reading and math tests is less difficult than most of the 26 states studied, suggesting Michigan's tests might be too easy to truly prepare students for college.

In addition, the report called "The Proficiency Illusion" showed that the scores required to pass Michigan's tests decreased from 2003-05. The news comes just days before the state is set to administer the Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests in grades 3-8.

But state officials criticized the study's methodology and said it's inconsistent with other reports that rank Michigan higher.

According to the study, Michigan's standards generally ranked among the lowest in terms of difficulty, and its standards are much lower for third-grade students than for eighth graders.

"State tests really are all over the map," said Michael J. Petrilli, vice president of National Programs and Policy at the Washington D.C.-based Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. "We see that some state tests are quite difficult to pass and we see some state tests that are quite easy to pass.

"Another big finding is that we see that these standards are not well calibrated from grade to grade. Most states are setting the bar dramatically higher in the eighth grade than they are in the third grade."

The study highlights a flaw of the No Child Left Behind Act, which allows states to set their own standards in math and reading, according to a press release.

State education officials disputed the findings.

"This report conflicts with the conclusions drawn from the National Center for Educational Statistics State Proficiency Standard Study released in June that placed Michigan in the middle of other state averages," Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education, said in a statement.

The report was conducted for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Lake Oswego, Ore.-based Northwest Evaluation Association, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to education research and issues.

The methodology included a comparison of each state's tests to the Measures of Academic Progress, a computerized assessment used by schools and systems in many states that researchers likened to an external yardstick.

Ellis said that while all studies provide valuable information, it's unknown what schools participated and how demographics affected the results.

"This report compares apples and oranges, adds unknown ingredients and yields lemonade," she said.

You can reach Jennifer Mrozowski at (313) 222-2269 or jmrozowski@detnews.com.