THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 5, 1995 TAG: 9507050080
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
When North Carolina dumped the California Achievement Test and replaced it with its own exams, it didn't take long for school critics to suggest the state was trying to duck national comparisons.
Stung by the criticism, testing officials began searching for ways to link their own tests to national standards. The result was a state report that offers national rankings for every North Carolina school system.
But the national comparisons sometimes are painful.
Linda Thomas said she doesn't need to be reminded about the academic rankings of Weldon City Schools. The tiny district near the Virginia line is last in just about every measure the state uses.
But it still stings when Thomas, director of testing for Weldon schools, looks at a new state report that offers national rankings for every North Carolina school system. The report on eighth-grade math skills shows that Weldon is not just the lowest in the state; it is among the worst in the country.
Other educators say the ranking is too complicated.
State officials say the report on eighth-grade math skills offers parents - especially newcomers - a quick way to compare North Carolina classrooms to those of other states.
Moving to Chapel Hill? Schools there topped the national charts, with average scores above those of Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota.
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION REPORT CARD by CNB