Not the Only Measure
Achievement levels are a reporting feature that is federally required under the No Child Left Behind Act, and one that has become familiar to many educators. However, characterizing a student’s achievement solely in terms of falling in one of four categories is an oversimplification. Achievement levels should serve only as a starting point for discussion about the performance of students and of groups of students.There are other measures that students, teachers, and parents can also use to help evaluate the academic progress of students and schools, such as scaled scores, growth models, and portfolios of student work.
In other words, achievement levels should not be interpreted as infallible predictors of students’ futures. They must be continuously validated and should be used only in the context of the multiple sources of information that educators have about students and schools.
