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This report examines whether NAEP's "Proficient" benchmark validly measures student achievement by comparing Kentucky's NAEP Grade 8 scores to ACT college readiness data. The analysis reveals NAEP Proficient scores closely align with ACT readiness benchmarks across all student groups, while Kentucky's state test (KPREP) inflates proficiency rates by 15-18 points.
The findings validate NAEP's standards as accurate indicators of college/career readiness and confirm that low proficiency rates—only 34% nationally in Grade 4 reading—reflect genuine preparation gaps, not unrealistic expectations.
- NAEP's "Proficient" benchmark closely aligns with college readiness - Kentucky data shows NAEP Proficient scores match ACT college readiness benchmarks within 4 percentage points across all student groups, contradicting critics who claim NAEP standards are unrealistically high.
- State assessments inflate student achievement - Kentucky's KPREP test reports proficiency rates 15-18 percentage points higher than NAEP for the same students, suggesting state tests provide an overly optimistic picture of student readiness.
- The harsh truth is accurate - With only 34% of U.S. public school students scoring Proficient in Grade 4 reading (18% for Black students), NAEP's sobering results reflect genuine preparation gaps for college and career success, not measurement flaws.
The report argues that state should replace inflated internal assessments with NAEP-aligned standards that honestly reflect college readiness requirements, providing accurate data for targeted interventions. Federal funding should incentivize adoption of rigorous, externally-validated benchmarks while requiring side-by-side reporting of state and NAEP results with clear explanations of what each measures. This transparency would end the grade inflation that masks achievement gaps and enable evidence-based reforms, particularly for disadvantaged students where readiness deficits are most severe.
