Adam Honeysett over at the US Department of Education sends me an email now and then. I dont know who he is, but I like him. He always makes me feel that our country is making great strides in education. Which, of course, it probably isnt. The most recent newsletter cheered that,
the percentage of students achieving at or above the state’s proficient level rose for most student subgroups in a majority of states. Also, both National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and state assessments results indicate that the achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and other students may be narrowing.
A couple of things: Now if thats not cause for an e-newsletter, I dont know what is.
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It is interesting that schools are getting better at standardized tests. However, I think that twisting such statistics as this is a definite problem. We need to determine problems with our schools, not cover them up with phony stats.
It’s unfortunate but the NYT staffer who wrote the editorial comparing state and NAEP scores mentioned above was unaware of (or chose to ignore) published information about the valid use of NAEP scores for confirming state test results. Want to know more? See http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/naep/data/using-naep-scores-01.htm