Ravitch’s Realistic Assessment of 2013 NAEP Results and Reform “Success”
In his smug review of education historian Diane Ravitch’s November 8, 2013, questioning of the inconsistencies in 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results as an indicator that the corporate reform agenda is “working”– I use the term ”working” loosely since corporate reform has narrowed academic “success” to the almighty test score– StudentsFirst (don’t let the name fool you) VP of “National Policy” Eric Lerum promotes that Ravitch has somehow betrayed her former assertions regarding the utility of NAEP as a standardized measure.
It is important to Lerum that DC appear to thrive. After all, he is VP of an organizationfounded by infamous-yet-underinvestigated “reformer” Michelle Rhee, former DC chancellor. Maybe Lerum will be one of those present to insulate Rhee as she“debates” Ravitch on February 6. (Rhee would not agree to debate Ravitchmano e mano.)
Perhaps Lerum’s November 14, 2013, post is practice for the February event.
In his post, Lerum cites past articles Ravitch has written. In one, Ravitch refers to the NAEP as “the gold standard.” The article is from 2005, the year prior to Ravitch’s realization that reforms she formerly supported, including charters, simply did not yield empirical outcomes justifying their replacing traditional public education.
As for Ravitch’s discussion of NAEP in her 2005 article, her focus is on the superiority of NAEP to the myriad of state tests that states were allowed to use under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in order to measure “progress.” In her November 8 article, Ravitch makes no mention of changing her position on this point. She does not reverse her