Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled

AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled:


AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations

testing (Medium)The AJC has published the second installment in its major series on test score disparities nationwide. Today’s stories look at the improbable score patterns in some of the nation’s most highly decorated schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools.
AJC reporters included a winning school that even merited a visit from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Highland Elementary in Maryland.
“This school, just four or five years ago, wasn’t a Blue Ribbon school,” Duncan said that morning in September 2009, according to video of thew award event. “It had the same type of children, same type of families, same type of community — but dramatically different results.” Now, he said, “this school has more students at the advanced level than any other school like it in the state. It’s absolutely remarkable.”
And remarkably unlikely, according to the AJC analysis. It is essential to verify the achievement