Helping Profits - Hurting Children
Media gets an "A" for finding false negatives in U.S. Students winning math Olympiad. Just 10 minutes of my research gives media an "F" for facts. I suppose if I were a PAID journalist I could have saved 10 minutes.
Here is the good news with the media touch - headline:
They're No. 1: U.S. Wins Math Olympiad For First Time In 21 Years
Here is just one of many examples of how comparisons of standardized test scores skew reality:
China and PISA 2012 scores report by Brookings Institute Oct. 9, 2013:
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/10/09-pisa-china-problem-loveless
And yet, just two months later NPR spins the 2012 PISA scores:
NPR's PISA report Dec. 3, 2013: Media can't or won't get it right?
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science
Even more interesting is the further distortion when comparing PISA, TIMSS and NAEP:
PEW Research Feb., 2015 including PISA, TIMSS and NAEP commentary: As always, read the comments (from educators in the classroom for God's sake).
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/02/u-s-students-improving-slowly-in-math-and-science-but-still-lagging-internationally/
BOTTOM LINE - a stand-alone standardized test score is worse than useless for analysis and reflection if the purpose is to improve educational outcomes. It is VERY useful for the political and corporate agenda to capitalize for profit on the backs of children. Geaux Teacher!: Helping Profits - Hurting Children:
