Content tagged: standards and testing
The Common Core: Whose Standards Are They?
Over the past decades, testing has played a central role in justifying and brining about some of the most controversial reforms, such as school choice via charter schools, merit pay for teachers, and military academies for inner city youth. But possibly the most politically significant reform of all is the adoption of national standards and assessments....
Bruce Baker: Smart Guy (Gates) makes my list of “Dumbest Stuff I’ve Ever Read!”
Bill Gates (clearly a very smart guy) has just topped my list of Dumbest Stuff I’ve Ever Read for the first few months of 2011. He did it with this post in the Huffington Post and with his talk to State Governors (in which he also naively...
Maryland First State to Bar Schools Releasing Tests to Military
Note, it is interesting that this does not mention, or appear to address, provisions of NCLB requiring schools to pass on student information to military recruiters unless parents explicitly notify the school otherwise. — MG * * * by Kathleen Miller http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/05/13-8 ANNAPOLIS,...
Race to the Top Assessment Program: Part II – The Political Significance of Assessment Governance
RTTT is the "Carrot That Feels Like a Stick," says Mike Petrilli (of all people). He "can’t help but feel remorse for the death of federalism." As I prepare for a talk at DePaul University tomorrow, I’m...
Race to the Top Assessment Program: Part 1 – Danger, Will Robinson, Irrational Discourse Ahead!
Anyone who has read my book or heard me speak about testing might think that I would be happy with the change in language evident in Obama’s Department of Education Executive Summary of the Race to the Top Assessment Program. Not only do...
Preparing for Tests, Learning…?
As I read Cohen and Moffitt’s, The Ordeal of Equality, I could not help but make some connections to a recent Schools Matter post on high stakes testing. One of my “favorite”...
Review of “A Measure of Failure: The Political Origins of Standardized Testing”
The February issue of Counseling Today carries a review of my book by Aaron W. Hughey, professor of counseling and student affairs, Western Kentucky University. The essay begins: “True or false: Proponents of standardized testing are, unintentionally or otherwise, pushing an agenda that intrinsically advocates racism and socioeconomic oppression. Intrigued?...
Realism and Social Change
In corresponding with Cassiodorus about my book, the question of social change took center stage. When you argue for social change you inevitably come up against the claims of “realism” — we can’t change this or that because to do so would be “unrealistic.” This is the argument typically...
Are Tests Measures of Test Taking Ability?
In a recent discussion of my book, A Measure of Failure, the typical argument against any critique of standardized testing was issued in response to a favorable review of the book’s main points. In the comments we read: “A math test, such as the math...
Labor Beat Chicago Video Exposes Duncan’s Record
From substancenews.net: George N. Schmidt – September 26, 2009 The Chicago labor news organization Labor Beat is still circulating the hit video about Arne Duncan and his work in Chicago at http://blip.tv/file/2428857 As it becomes more and more clear to more and...
"The Political Economy of Educational Restructuring: On the Origin of Performance Pay and Obama’s “Blueprint” for Education," in The Phenomenon of Obama and the Agenda for Education Can Hope Audaciously Trump Neoliberalism? (Information Age Publishing)
