History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
Parent: Too many tests, not enough term papers
- 10-03-2011
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Guest blog by Wendy Lecker/Washington Post
Anyone who teaches, works or has a child in public school, has to wonder whether those making education policy have ever considered the effects their grand pronouncements and policies have in real life. The Common Core State Standards are a perfect example. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and math are an attempt to standardize what students learn from kindergarten through 12th grade, and so far, 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted them. Leaving aside the complete absence of evidence that articulating “standards” has ever had any effect on learning or achievement, let’s focus in on the main weapon in the Common Core arsenal: the new tests. The Obama administration is supporting efforts that it says will create tests linked to the Common Core standards that actually assess “higher order thinking” and will ensure that all children are “college-ready.” Education Secretary Arne Duncan has asserted that these tests will not just be “fill-in-the-bubble tests” but rather will be open ended. Sounds good, right? Has Mr. Duncan actually examined the open-ended tests that currently exist? (more...)
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