Mapping 2005 State Proficiency Standards onto the NAEP Scales

This report from the National Center for Education Statistics highlights the fact that the percentages of students deemed proficient vary widely across states for a given subject and grade. The report suggests that the wide difference in scores could be due to differences in the stringency of the standards adopted by the states. In an effort to compare the various state tests, the report’s authors use a mapping exercise to project state standards onto the scale used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).