On NC SPIN episode # 848, which aired on 2/1/15, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction was called on the carpet for expanding the scoring system in order to make results look better.

Host Tom Campbell opens the segment talking about the Read To Achieve law and Common Core being put into place.

With both of those programs in place,  only 45% of 3rd graders passed the tests and thousands of kids had to go to Summer school.

Campbell goes on to cite Judge Manning demanding DPI explain the changes to the scoring system in what Manning called “academic double-speak“.

Campbell said that ‘it seems to me they just lowered the bar” so that the scores “wouldn’t look so bad”. Campbell then turned to Becki Gray of John Locke first for comment, who agreed with that assessment. Gray also laid out a ‘difference of intent’ with regard to Read To Achieve law versus the intent of DPI with the scoring change.

The relevant portion of the program starts at the 9:47 mark and runs to about the 15:40 mark.