Hager Sharp Supports Release of the Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007

Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007 compared state proficiency standards using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as the common metric. The study measured changes in the rigor of state standards and found a wide range in where states are setting the bar for student proficiency. The report was designed to address the challenge that is presented when policymakers and educators try to compare states’ progress and performance standards without a common yardstick.

The findings of the report will allow policymakers to compare states’ standards for proficiency and see how they have been changing over time. The study found that the range of state proficiency standards was wide. This means that, a student considered proficient in one state may not be considered proficient in another. Hager Sharp worked closely with NCES officials Dr. Peggy Carr and Dr. Stuart Kerachsky, on the presentation of the findings and developed release materials, including a multimedia presentation, which was used to explain the statistical report to media and general audiences. This narrated presentation provides , in just 12 minutes, a simple explanation of a complex statistical report.

We worked to coordinate high-level briefings on the study’s findings to policymakers, including top state education officers, and committees in the House and Senate. Media coverage of the report was widespread across state and national media, including print and broadcast coverage from the AP, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Lou Dobbs Tonight. The report was also featured in many local media outlets in major markets across the country, including CBS , ABC, and NBC radio affiliates.