As a result of Race to the Top, most states will soon administer even more high-stakes tests. For example, in the 2014-15 school year, 25 states, including New York, will begin administering PARCC assessments in grades 3-12 four times per year. At the same time, there is an inexorable push to connect teacher and administrator performance reviews, tenure decisions and pay to student performance. This post discusses four specific traps that I believe implementers of RTTT and the PARCC assessments will have to avoid if their reforms are to bear fruit.
How State Budgets Are Breaking US Schools
Bill Gates Ted Talks presentation describes the structural funding challenges facing our K-12 education system. The trade-offs are dire and civic conflict looms. Will we continue to fund growing health care costs at the expense of educating our children? Will we educate our children at the expense of teachers? pensions? Are we entering an era that pits the dreams of the young against the past promises to the old? If you are a student, parent, educator, taxpayer or politician, you should view Gates? short, provocative March 2 presentation at https://prismdecision.com/how-state-budgets-are-breaking-us-schools
The Absurdity of New York’s School Accountability System
The New York State Education Department released school report cards Thursday, February 17. A close look at the report cards reveals a very important, unreported story. We now have an absurd situation in New York State. For many schools districts to hit their accountability targets, they will have to improve at a rate that the NYSED does not consider credible. Read on at https://prismdecision.com/absurdity-of-new-york-school-accountability-system