About 25 percent of students at traditional-schedule schools passed the immediate retest. Students at these schools started summer school today and will retake the tests in about three weeks. The state first used the tests to measure how well schools taught the curriculum. Teachers are given incentive bonuses for improving student scores. This is the first year that student promotions have been linked to the tests.
State law requires that students be given three chances to pass the tests.
Between both schools, only seven students failed the math tests, and all seven of them also failed the reading portion. State leaders have criticized the N.C. Department of Public Instruction for setting the passing rate too low on the math test. The math scores will be adjusted to a new curve before they are used in the evaluation. Until other grades are reported and writing tests are factored in, teachers won't know if bonuses are coming their way this year. All rights reserved.