2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

"Failing schools" is a meaningless characterization. I am frankly tired of how the phrase is bandied about in the press without any apparent understanding of what it means.

A "failing school" --almost always a school heavily populated with poor and disadvantaged students-- is simply one whose students have low standardized test scores. Test scores are not a legitimate standard by which to judge the quality of a school or the school's teachers. In fact, equating student performance on standardized tests with the "performance" of a school is an unethical misuse of otherwise useful data for teachers to use in their classrooms.

No Child Left Behind has pushed the idea of test-based school accountability beyond the limits of credibility. Furthermore, it has diverted attention --intentionally, I believe-- from the real problems confronting public schools.

I fervently hope that the new Congress will come to its senses and refuse to reauthorize NCLB.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
view in context