COLUMBIA -- The Education Oversight Committee (EOC) has given approval to "cut scores," defining levels of student performance levels on the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS), the assessment administered to public school students in grades three through eight, according to a press release. The committee voted to approve the Academic Standards and Assessment (ASA) subcommittee's recommendation to adjust the "Met" level standard to match the "Basic" level on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT). The change affects all subject areas tested: Reading and Research, Mathematics, Writing, Science, and Social Studies.
According to amendments made to the Education Accountability Act in 2008, the EOC has the responsibility to work with the State Board of Education to establish performance indicators which will be useful for assessing a school's overall performance. The student performance levels outlined in law are "Not Met" (student does not meet grade level standard); "Met" (student does meet grade level standard); and "Exemplary" (student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard). For purposes of reporting as required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), 'proficiency' includes students performing at "Met" or "Exemplary."
The EOC's approval came after a comparison of recommendations regarding the establishment of student performance levels from a bookmarking process, which involved 145 teachers from across the state as well as recommendations from the SC School Boards Association and the SC Association of School Administrators. The committee also received a report produced by the Northwest Evaluation Association, which shows the impact of the PASS cut scores on proficiency rates and school AYP outcomes.
Spring 2009 PASS assessment results will be scored using the approved cut scores, and the results will be used to generate simulations using school rating model methodologies. The results of these simulations will be available for public review and comment in January 2010.
The SC Education Oversight Committee is an independent, non-partisan group made up of 18 educators, business persons, and elected leaders. Created in 1998, the committee is dedicated to reporting facts, measuring change, and promoting progress within South Carolina's education system.
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