K-PREP and Unbridled Learning school testing and evaluation are here, but what does this mean? # 8

K-PREP high school reading

Continuing our examination of proficiency rate reporting from the new Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) tests, we now examine the high school reading evidence.

K-PREP test data in reading for our high school students does not come from a state-developed tests. Instead, the reading score is derived from performance on a new end-of-course exam in English II developed by the ACT, Inc., as part of the ACT’s Quality Core tests.

This graph shows how proficiency rates compare between the K-PREP end-of-course exam used for reading scoring and the results from ACT college entrance testing for Kentucky’s 11th grade students in 2012. I also show the results from the previous state reading test in Kentucky, the CATS Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT), which was given to 10th grade students.

8 High School Reading

In this graph, as opposed to what we saw for high school math, we see the fairly typical pattern of the KCCT results being notably higher than the new K-PREP scores, but the K-PREP results are also notably higher than the ACT Benchmark percentages.

This again raises concerns that while the test used for K-PREP reading in high school is more rigorous than the old KCCT, the level of rigor still may not be high enough.

It should be noted that the ACT Quality Core tests in math and language arts areas may or may not be specifically aligned to the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at this time. However, college and careers is also supposed to be the CCSS focus, so close alignment may actually already be present.

Data Sources:

CPE Benchmark Score Performance for Juniors in 2012

K-PREP Proficiency Rates – 2011-2012 Achievement State Grade report received by e-mail from KDE. Should be available on line soon.

CATS KCCT Scores – “2010-2011 Interim Performance Report, State,” Kentucky Department of Education, Frankfort, KY. May no longer be on line.