Pasi Sahlberg: How Should PISA Scores Affect Finnish Education?
Finland was not at the top of the PISA league tables in the latest assessment. So what does this mean for the future? Here, Pasi Sahlberg explains that Finland never cared about being first. What it wanted most was to have the kind of education that was best for youth development. What will happen now that its scores have dropped? Sahlberg writes: Finland should not do what many other countries ha
My View of the PISA Scores
The news reports say that the test scores of American students on the latest PISA test are “stagnant,” “lagging,” “flat,” etc. The U.S. Department of Education would have us believe–yet again–that we are in an unprecedented crisis and that we must double down on the test-and-punish strategies of the past dozen years. The myth persists that once our nation led the world on international tests, but
Inside the Long Island Parent Rebellion Against Common Core
What’s the gripe of those “white suburban moms” (and dads) who have turned out in large numbers to complain about Common Core and the increase in testing? Here is a good analysis by a local Long Island reporter. Jaime Franchi at LongIslandPress.com interviewed parents and leaders of the revolt and gives a full picture of the uprising. The story begins: “Eighth grader Ryan Pepe, 13, of East Islip,
Lecker: When Is “School Choice” Extortion?
Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker writes here about a battle over the future of two elementary schools in Connecticut. In both cases, parents resisted efforts to turn their children over to corporate reformers. She writes: In recent weeks, parents from two community schools protested proposals by Christina Kishimoto, Hartford’s outgoing “reform” superintendent, and Education Commissioner Stefan P
EduShyster: Teacher Evaluations in Massachusetts Make No Sense
Massachusetts released teacher ratings, and lo and behold, all the best teachers seem to be in the most affluent districts. In Boston, the lowest ratings went to old and minority teachers. The highest ratings went to central office administrators. EduShyster did not use the phrase “makes no sense,” which is the headline of this post. Actually, the teacher evaluations do make sense. They are doin
Pennsylvania: Stop Charter Expansion Now!
Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation’s most unscrupulous charter operators, some of whom are under criminal investigation or on trial for fraud and misappropriation of public funds. But say this for some of the sleaziest: they give generously to political campaigns. That is why the Legislature is considering SB 1085, which would allow new charters to open without local approval. If you want
NY Parents Demand Responsive State Board
Parents in Néw York are organizing statewide to demand a state board of education that reflects the interests of parents and students. The board in Néw York is called the Board of Regents. It is appointed by the State Assembly, which is overwhelmingly Democratic. The speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, effectively decides who will be appointed to the Regents. The current board, led by Merryl
Expert: Why VAM Should NOT Be Used to Grade Teachers
Edward H. Haertel is one of the nation’s premier psychometricians. He is Jacks Family Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the National Assessment Governing Board, after I joined the board in 1997. He is wise, thoughtful, and deliberate. He understands the appropriate use and misuse of standardized testing. He was invited by the Educatio
Randi On PISA: Time to End Failed Policies of NCLB & RTTT
AFT President Weingarten on PISA 2012 International Results AFT’s Weingarten: “The crucial question we face now is whether we have the political will to move away from the failed policies and embrace what works in high-performing countries so that we can reclaim the promise of public education.” WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the Program for
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Tom Loveless: Why Shanghai Leads the World on International Tests Like PISATom Loveless, a scholar at the Brookings Institution, has spent many years analyzing testing data. He is active in the study of international testing. He has deciphered the secrets of Shanghai’s remarkably high test scores. For one thing, China as a whole do