New York State Test Scores Plummeted This Year After National Standards Were Introduced

As expected, English and math test results dropped dramatically across New York State this year, as new "Common Core" standards were introduced.

"This change in scores — which will effectively create a new baseline of student learning — is largely the result of the shift in the assessments to measure the Common Core Standards, which more accurately reflect students' progress toward college and career readiness," according to a statement from the New York State Education Department.

While not a surprise, the numbers are still rather jarring, and raise questions about the efficacy of these new tests.

The New York Times reports that 27% of New York City students passed the English tests and 30% passed the math tests, compared to last year's passing rate of 47% and 60%, respectively.

In New York State, the English and math tests both saw a passing rate of 31%, while last year 55% passed the English tests and 65% passed the math tests.

One New York City principal told the Times, "Now we're going to come out and tell everybody that they've accomplished nothing this year and we've been peddling backward? ... It's depressing."

6.8% of students in her school passed the English tests and 9.5% passed the math tests, a sizable drop from 44% and 31% last year.

Although New York City performed worse than the rest of the state overall, the scores were still higher than most other regions — including a significant lead over other large cities — as seen on the charts below:

English Test Results, Grades 3-8

Math Test Results, Grades 3-8