New York's Common Core Test Scores Over the last decade or so, most states deceived the public about the dismal quality of public schools by adopting pathetically weak learning standards that made children appear better prepared than they actually were. Not surprisingly, when states like Kentucky dropped the charade and embraced more challenging standards, scores dropped precipitously. That same scenario is playing out in New York State, which, this week, released the first round of scores from tests linked to the rigorous Common Core learning standards, which have been adopted by all but a handful of states. Teachers in New York are just becoming familiar with instructional methods necessary for teaching more complex skills. Given that reality and a challenging exam, the scores were expected to decline. Still, the test results show how far the state has to go to prepare children for jobs in the new global economy. The Common Core standards are aimed at helping children acquire sophisticated reasoning skills. The goal is to move the schools away from rote learning - and those weak, multiple choice bubble tests - to a writing-intensive curriculum that emphasizes problem-solving skills. Since the new tests require different and stronger skills than the old ones, the state has discouraged direct comparisons of results from the two. Nevertheless, the data show that about 31 percent of the state's students in third through eighth grades met or exceeded the proficiency standard in language arts. That is down from about 55 percent in 2012 and 77 percent in 2009, when the state tests were easier. The achievement gap remains a problem. In language arts, for example, 50.4 percent of Asians, 39.9 percent of whites and 16.1 percent of African-Americans were performing at or above the proficiency level. The state will need to intensify efforts aimed at narrowing those gaps. The new scores were bound to be controversial in New York City thanks to the mayoral race. Some candidates are trying to curry favor with the teachers" union, which is taking a scorched-earth approach to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's educational policies. Some candidates are looking for ways to blame Mr. Bloomberg for the drop in scores, even though the tests are overseen and managed by the state, and even though the city experienced less of a decline in scores than the state as a whole. In fact, student performance in New York City is far ahead of that of other large urban districts like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse - where most academic proficiency rates fell into the single digits. The good news is that the test score gap between New York City schools and the state as a whole has narrowed substantially. In math, for example, the proficiency rate in the city's schools was 29.6 percent, behind the statewide rate of 31 percent. These scores should be seen as a kind of baseline to evaluate student progress from here on out. Instead of sniping at the outgoing mayor, the candidates who are vying to succeed Mr. Bloomberg need to figure out how to advance the reform effort. That means making sure that teachers are fluent in the instructional methods that help students reach the new learning goals. That, in turn, will require high-quality professional development programs that help teachers master the necessary classroom skills.