When Austin Independent School District learned its preliminary TAKS score, it proudly sent a press release touting out great gains.
"The TAKS, yes. They're really, really hard," said 6th grader Marie Monroe.
"I'd say the TAKS test is really hard," added Naomi Franz.
While the TAKS may be hard, students can score less than 50% and still pass some tests. Eighth graders are tested in reading, math and science. In science, 33 correct answers out of 50 questions earns a passing grade. The bar for social studies is even lower. Students pass with 21 out of 48.
Miles Zuniga is the parent of a four-year-old boy.
"50% is not a passing grade....You got to try a little harder. Plus the world doesn't think 50% is a passing grade once you get out into the world, even college. If you only do, show up half the time, or do your job well half the time, anyone is going to fire you," said Zuniga.
Criss Cloudt is the Associate Commissioner of Assessment, Accountability & Data Quality for the Texas Education Agency.
"The first point I would make is that the difficulty of the items is more important than the number of items the student must get correct," she said.
The TEA is responsible for developing the test. This year's exit level exams show also show low percentage pass rates. In science, 28 correct answers out of 55 questions is considered a passing score. In math, a little more than half the correct answers, 31 correct out of 60, will also earn a passing grade.
The TEA claims those scores still reflect students mastering the subject. Plus the agency must create a new test each year that is equally as hard as the first test from 2002.
"They're specific to that original test that was given in 2002 that the State Board of Education established the standards on. And we're required to maintain that same level of difficulty," said Cloudt.
Which it says it does. And most tests change only one or two questions each year.
The TAKS test is on its way out; soon to be replaced by the STAAR, the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness. That test starts in the spring of 2010.
