Inevitable consequences of too much standardization and testing in our public schools
This is my story and I'm stickin' to it. Criticism of education reform shaped more and more by standardized test scores. Yes, a narrowed focus on standardization and testing is an easier path for politicians and pundit to measure the "return on investment" in our public classrooms. They can boil down "performance" of teachers and our kids into data points, spreadsheets and trend lines. Yes, it's an easier path for writing curriculum, lesson plans and tests. They can more simply identify teachers who stick to the standards and students who do well on the tests; apply punishments and rewards accordingly. Yes, it's an easier path for the education industry to profit from selling textbooks, computer programs, database support, lesson plans, training materials, tests, and the services needed to score the tests and report the results. Business plans are much simpler if the market is
