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Monday, August 6, 2012

10 most inaccurate school reform axioms - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

10 most inaccurate school reform axioms - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:
Answer Sheet



10 most inaccurate school reform axioms

Below Dov Rosenberg lists what he considers the 10 most inaccurate and damaging statements that some school reformers toss around. Rosenberg, who loves to help teachers use technology, has been serving North Carolina public school students and teachers for 11 years as a teacher and instructional technology facilitator.
Here’s Rosenberg’s list:
1. High-stakes standardized test data produce the fairest, most reliable,
(bigstock)
and least expensive evidence of student comprehension as well as teacher ability.
2. High-stakes standardized tests are updated routinely to eliminate confusing and/or culturally biased aspects, and questions on these tests are comprehensible by any child who can read on grade level.
3. Testing anxiety is rare, affects mostly low-achieving students, and has a minimal impact on test results.
4. High-stakes tests do not take an unreasonable amount of time for