Education Report Roundup

Study Says ‘Plateau Effect’ Not Pervasive

By Stephen Sawchuk — August 11, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

One of the common beliefs about testing in the era of accountability holds that student test scores improve rapidly in the first few years of a new testing program, but are followed by a plateau in scores as it becomes harder for educators to bump up the performance of students with learning challenges.

But a recent report offers evidence that, while this “plateau effect” in test scores does appear in some states, it is not pervasive across the nation. In fact, test-score trends are as likely to increase or to decrease as they are to plateau.

The study, released last month by the Washington-based Center on Education Policy, examines 55 state test-score trends across 16 states. Each of the trend lines represents at least six years of test-score data between 1999 and 2008. Noneof the states studied changed those tests over that period or lowered their “cut scores,” the number or percentage of questions students must answer correctly to be deemed “proficient.”

Of the 55 trend lines studied, 15 exhibited a plateau. Twenty-one trend lines showed steady increases in the percentage of students scoring at the proficient level on the tests, while 19 states showed a zigzag pattern that, despite some downturns, indicated overall upward momentum.

The findings contrast with earlier studies that found evidence of the plateau phenomenon. The authors suggest that those earlier studies were largely conducted with data from the 1980s and 1990s. In those years, before state and federal accountability regimes began putting a premium on using fresh test items each year, it was easier to prepare students for tests.

A version of this article appeared in the August 12, 2009 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Trump’s Surprise Freeze on School Funding—How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What Lowers Teacher Turnover? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Which State Is About to Pass a ‘Science of Reading’ Law? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read