Smarter Balanced results are in

On November 12 the New Hampshire Department of Education released the 2015 results for the Smarter Balanced Assessment, the national test associated with the Common Core curriculum.

New Hampshire students scored above the national average in every grade and subject tested.

The results suggest there is still room for improvement in math education, however. New Hampshire 11th graders scored just above the national average, for example.

The Smarter Balanced math results echo the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, which showed falling math scores in some grades. The NAEP is a national assessment unrelated to Common Core.

A press release from the state Department of Education cautions against reading too much into the Smarter Balanced results, however.

"As with any change, there will be a period of adjustment, as teachers and students get used to the new standards and assessments," says the release. "Scores that appear lower do not mean schools are performing worse, or that students are learning less."

Common Core opponents maintain that the Smarter Balanced Assessment is not a valid measure of students' learning.

Hundreds of students also opted out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment last spring as a way to protest Common Core curriculum. It is unclear how those students might have impacted the test results.

How would you rate New Hampshire's first year using the Smarter Balanced Assessment? Comment below!