Sahlberg: The Only Standardized Test that Finnish Students Take
Finnish students almost never take a standardized test. They take tests written by their teachers. There is one test, however, that students take at the end of high school. It is the same for all students but the quality of the questions is far more complex and interesting than the questions found on the SAT or the ACT. Here Pasi Sahlberg explains the kinds of questions that Finnish students are
Peter Greene Shows How to Measure Grit
There has been much discussion in the blogosphere and elsewhere about the importance of “grit.” Some of this started with the publication of Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiousity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” which argued that those characteristics are crucial to succeeding in adverse circumstances and that they can be taught. It continued with the award of a MacArthur t
Anthony Cody on the Common Core: Are They “Standards”?
Anthony Cody read my post this morning about why the Common Core standards fail to meet the most minimal procedural requirements for standard-setting–the requirements laid out in detail by the American National Standards Institute–and concludes that Common Core cannot be considered standards. They were written in secret. There was no transparency or openness in the process. Another reader asked
Comment: The Common Core “Standards” Are Not Standards
I cross-posted my article about “The Fatal Flaw of the Common Core Standards” at Huffington Post and on Valerie Strauss’ The Answer Sheet, to reach the broadest possible audience. This comment appears on Huffington Post: Craig Schultz (Craig_Schultz) 3 749 Fans·Jonah and Ahab had different perspectives Thank you Diane Ravitch for bringing up a point which has never been mentioned previously.I
Texas: Parents Opt Their Child Out of Testing and Test Prep
Kyle and Jennifer Massey in Waco, Texas, wrote a respectful letter to their child’s principal explaining why they would not permit him to take the state STAAR tests or to engage in test prep for STAAR testing. As his parents, they care more about their child than the Legislature or Governor Perry or Pearson. They clearly, in this instance, know more than the legislators who are influenced by lobby
Breaking News! Taxpayers Will Pay $1 Billion for Vouchers to Private, Religious Schools This Year
Stephanie Simon at Politico.com here documents the spread of the voucher movement, which shifts $1 billion away from the nation’s public schools to private and religious schools. Hundreds of these schools teach creationism as written in the Bible and teach other subjects, including history and even mathematics, from a religious and dogmatic perspective. She writes: Taxpayers in 14 states will bank
With VAM: All Teachers of the Gifted Are “Bad” Teachers
In this age of value-added measurement, when teachers are judged by the rise or fall of their students’ test scores, it is very dangerous to teach gifted classes. Their scores are already at the top, and they have nowhere to go, so the teacher will get a low rating. It is also dangerous to teach English language learners, students with disabilities, and troubled youth. Their scores will not go up
Jeff Bryant: The New Extremist Attack on Democracy
Jeff Bryant here describes the rise of an anti-democratic worldview that threatens not only public education but democracy itself. Under the fraudulent guise of “education reform,” extremists seek to destroy public education and turn it over to private entrepreneurs. They trust the marketplace, not the public. They are true believers in the doctrines of free-market economist Milton Friedman, not
SAT, ACT Sued for Selling Student Data
A lawsuit was filed against the SAT and ACT for selling confidential data of students to colleges. Some states mandate that all students must take one of these tests, whether they are college bound or not. Students assume that their names and scores will be shared with colleges to which they apply, but it turns out that far more is disclosed about students, and it is sold, not just shared. It appe
The Fatal Flaw of the Common Core Standards
Across the nation, parents and educators are raising objections to the Common Core standards, and many states are reconsidering whether to abandon them as well as the federally-funded tests that accompany them. Arne Duncan, Jeb Bush, Bill Gates, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Roundtable vocally support them, yet the unease continues and pushback remains intense. Why so much controv
Are You Attending American Education Research Association Meeting in Philadelphia?
If the answer is yes, please come to one or both of the two sessions where I am speaking on April 3. I will give the John Dewey Society lecture at the Convention Center, 100 Level, Room 114, from 4-7 pm. (Lots of time for discussion). My topic: “Does Evidence Matter?” Fair warning: The room holds only 600 people. Before the Dewey lecture, I will join Philadelphia parent activist Helen Gym and Carl
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-23-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jason Stanford: A Hard Choice in Texas: $100 for a Graphic Calculator or $15 for an App?Jason Stanford is a political journalist in Texas who keeps a close watch on the nexus between money, politics, and education. He is especially interested in how lobbyists shape decisions about where the education money should be spent. In this