When California rolled out new standardized tests, experts said scores would improve when students got used to them. Cizek was a technical advisor for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which developed the California tests. In the past, he said, when states adopted new standardized exams, students’ scores increased as they and their teachers became accustomed to the format and questions. But he described the California tests as a “different animal.”“They’re requiring changes in classrooms to get gains,” he said. The scores are much lower than those on California’s previous standardized tests, because the tests are harder.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 27, 2017 16:00 UTC