Do higher test scores mean students are getting smarter?

While some educators celebrate various states' testing gains, some critics are skeptical of the results, pointing in some cases to shorter exams, easier questions or a lowered bar for passage. "Congress has told governments and state school officials that all children must be magically proficient by 2014," said Bruce Fuller, a University of California at Berkeley professor of education and public policy. "They're finding ways to make sure everybody creeps toward universal proficiency." The Washington Post