While testing was never intended to leave students without hope, that has been the result. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images) By Suzi Parker | Originally Published at TakePart. July 11, 2013 An alarming rate of students who fail state-mandated tests are ending up in jail. Critics have long [...]
By Peg Tyre | Originally Published at TakePart. June 25, 2013 For the last three decades, our schools have been shaped by so-called accountability measures. Standardized tests were meant to make sure students were learning, and schools and teachers were held responsible if kids did not meet [...]
Originally Published at Education Opportunity Network Institute for America's Future on June 25, 2013 The end of another school year is leaving a bad taste in many people’s mouths. A steady diet of government austerity and top-down “accountability” mandates have left numerous communities across the country with [...]
By Mella Baxter | Originally Published at TakePart. June 25, 2013 A 22-year teaching veteran says we can never know a kid’s full potential if we just rely on high-stakes exams. As Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by [...]
By George Joseph | Originally Published at In These Times. June 13, 2013 Photograph; Columbia University's Teachers College held two Masters convocations on May 21. During the ceremonies students held up signs that read "I am not a number" and "not a test score." Photo by George [...]
Columbia University's Teachers College held two Masters convocations on May 21. During the ceremonies students held up signs that read "I am not a number" and "not a test score." Photo by George Joseph
By Claire Needell Hollander Originally Published atThe New York Times. June 8, 2013 “IT’S sad,” the kid at the far table told me, “but it’s my favorite poem we worked on.” He was talking about “The Weary Blues,” by Langston Hughes, and although his emotional language was [...]
In the last quarter century or more student evaluations have been used as a form of punishment. Instead of the traditional assessments that invite reflection and a path towards progress, mostly, newer high-stakes examinations determine a student's fate. Frequently, a young person struggling to learn a newer [...]
In the minutes, hours, and days after a "natural" disaster, such as the Oklahoma tornado or the recent Hurricane Sandy storm, we "assess" the damage. No one thinks that someone or ones must be held "accountable." Our hearts and minds are open to discovery. We are able [...]
