State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox threw out this year’s results, citing a disconnect between test questions, what the state expects students to learn and what teachers taught. About 71 percent of sixth-graders and 76 percent of seventh-graders failed the tests, according to preliminary results.
Middle schools began using the new social studies curriculum this year. The CRCT exams were based on the more rigorous standards.
Cox convened the teachers’ panel to recommend improvements to the social studies standards, which she said were too vague. Once the revisions are approved, other committees will revise the social studies CRCT for sixth and seventh grades — a lengthy process that takes between one to two years.