After toying with the idea of changing performance level descriptors for the state assessment to be even more deceptive, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) offered the familiar levels of 1, 2, 3, and 4 as 2025 performance levels to illustrate academic progress during its monthly meeting of the State Board of Education.
The initial performance level descriptors introduced with this test in 2015 clearly indicate that Level 1 is below grade level, as Levels 2 through 4 are labeled as being at or above grade level. As parents and legislators came to understand that many students are below grade level, KSDE then scrubbed “grade level” from the definitions to hide poor performance rather than do something about it.
KSDE currently describes the performance level as follows:
In February, Dr. Jay Scott, Director of Accreditation and Design, offered a deviation from the current performance level descriptors:
The new levels offered were:
- Identified Need
- Working Towards Expectations
- Meets Expectations
- Exceeds Expectations
At the April Board Meeting, Dr. Dan Gruman, Director of the Kansas Assessment Advisory Council (KAAC) which advises KSDE on state assessments, offered modified performance level descriptors for 2025 that are more similar to the current ones:
- A student at Level 1 shows a limited ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 2 shows a basic ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 3 shows a proficient ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 4 shows an advanced ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
We asked KSDE what prompted the switch back to Levels 1-4 from Dr. Scott’s presentation in February. Communications Director Denise Kahler asked for our source of the performance descriptors announced in February, and we provided a link to Dr. Jay Scott’s quote. We received no further response.
Dave Trabert, CEO of The Sentinel’s parent company, Kansas Policy Institute, says this is another example of KSDE attempting to deceive parents.
“Instead of simply saying they reconsidered, KSDE officials try to deny they ever proposed new PLDs. It is one coverup after another by Randy Watson’s Department of Education. Beth Fultz, Director of Standard and Assessments, reiterated the official and unbelievable KSDE position that the state assessment results do not show any students below grade level. They claim the assessment test only measures grade-level performance, and therefore, no students can be considered to be below grade level, even though students in Level 1 admittedly have limited ability to understand and use reading and math skills.
“It’s like claiming that every Kansas City Royals player is a Hall of Fame hitter even though some of them have a lousy batting average. Trying to ignore the problem does nothing to get students to get the education they need to succeed in life.”
The “cut scores,” the state assessment test scores that will determine placement in each performance level, will be determined this summer. Setting cut scores is akin to a grade scale, like deciding whether 90-100 or 80-100 is an “A;” if the State Board of Education approves lower cut scores, it will likely invalidate the comparison of state assessment results to prior years and to the achievement goals in the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy, which are based on the current assessment standards.
Reporter’s Note: Denise Kahler’s response was received after we posted this story: “This is talking about accreditation performance levels, not assessment performance levels. Looks like you all have conflated the two.”
