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insight” into how Rappahannock youngsters compare with their counterparts across the state. Estabrook explained that the tests required a “very low level of basic skills” for a passing grade.
“These tests were mandated by the General Assembly and acquired in a hurry without regard to their suitability,” Estabrook said. “Most educators agree that the type of test and its subsequent revisions (three since 1979) have not allowed a reliable norm to be established.”
Nor. he maintained, do they reflect individual curriculum and the students' comprehension of what has been taught.
In addition, the test is marked on a scale that adjusts the passing grade downward. "It’s a mistake to say that those who pass have answered 70 percent of the questions correctly,” he said. “The scale used for evaluation requires much less than 70 percent for a passing score.”
Estabrook said that he was not defensive about Rappahannock's tenth graders’ performance on the test, but just the opposite.
“I would prefer a much more difficult test, a test that had been properly fieldtested on a large population, and one that more accurately
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