Pennsylvania Officials Differ On Causes Behind Sliding Test Scores

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10/1, Chute) reports, "When Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis issued statewide test scores last week, he noted that a technical advisory committee had analyzed three possible reasons for drops in student performance: funding, changes in test content and tighter test security. But the head of the committee of outside testing experts says it didn't analyze funding. Nor was the committee's analysis quite as conclusive as it appeared in the secretary's PowerPoint and comments." The piece quotes Tomalis saying, "TAC found that the only scientific cause for the drop in scores from 2011 to 2012 was the department's investigation of past testing improprieties, which has led to heightened test security measures." However, committee facilitator Marianne Perie said that the panel barely discussed funding.