Today The New York Timesreports that 7th-graders who correctly answered only 44% of the questions on state math exams were rewarded with a passing grade. After similar reports published this summer, this latest analysis doesn't come as a surprise.

According to the Times, the threshold for passing was 60% in 2006, but now kids can get by with fewer correct answers on the math exam in every grade. And a passing grade (Level 3 or 4) isn't required for promotion; a student only needs a Level 2 to move up. The Times says that the number of right answers needed to earn a 2 has dropped so low that on some tests, "a student could randomly guess and still stand a good chance of moving on to the next grade."

And don't forget, in August, the Daily News found that the number of right answers needed to earn a 2 on the 6th-grade reading test had "sunk so low" that a student could guess on the multiple choice section and leave the rest of the test blank. Perhaps that's part of the reason why the number of 6th-graders who scored a Level 1 dropped from 10% in '06 to 0.2% this year.

While some state officials defend the tests and cutoff scores, State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch, assured the Times that the Board understands the faults in its current system. “We are painfully aware of the fact that our tests do not align with the national tests,” she said. “We need to align new standards with a new set of assessments that are rigorous and dependable.”