Can I just ask, what does "exceeds expectations" actually mean?

Do the Smarter Balanced tests include lots of above-level questions? Or do they have lots of grade-level questions? I suspect the latter.

If so, then "meets expectations" just means "score is at least equal to some minimum [say, 55%] on a grade-level test." Exceeds would therefore mean, ""score is at least equal to some other minimum [say, 70%] on a grade-level test." My son's results confirm part of this idea, but with score ranges that I can't interpret (meets in English = 2583-2681, with lowest possible score being 2299 and highest being 2795).

Thus, exceeding the standards would NOT mean that a student is skilled at above-level work. It just means s/he got more on-level questions right.

I mean, isn't that the whole point of the out-of-level testing that the Johns Hopkins CTY is always talking about --- that in-level testing doesn't discriminate between very good grade-level students and students who are ahead of grade?

Did I mention that this report was written by a guy from ...Johns Hopkins CTY? And another author is from Duke's G&T program?

Have I missed something? Seriously --- if I've got this all wrong, I'd like to know.

Last edited by Val; 09/20/16 01:39 PM. Reason: More detail added