"Average achievement scores can be influenced by changing the pool of students who are tested," said Brian Jacob, a professor at the University of Michigan researching urban school reform and standards and accountability initiatives. "If kind of typically lower achieving students leave the state, or any one district, that would lead to higher average scores, even if there was no change in the skill level of students who stayed," he said.
Florida has a long history of helping young students make gains in reading dating back to 2002, Jacob said. The state showed tremendous growth on the NAEP from 2002 until 2017, when scores began to fall off. The latest improvements could represent real change, he said, but he too wants to see NAEP scores. Because testing populations can change, and state exams often cause schools to teach to the test, Jacob said NAEP scores will provide the clearest view of Florida's current academic progress. He called the NAEP a "much better measure of underlying student ability." The next round of NAEP results is scheduled to be released in January.
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