Fred Smith/Robin Jacobowitz: Why Biden Admin Support for Testing in Pandemic is Wrong
Fred is back to our pages with a co-authored screed on the increasingly sellout Ed Dept no matter who is installed at the top - below are ed deform snakes.
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| Appointees at Ed Dept planning strikes at pubed |
Here's our reaction to USDE's push to resume testing this spring. Please feel free to share with your readers and allies.
Robin Jacobowitz is director of education projects at the Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives at SUNY New Paltz.
Building Back Better?
by Robin Jacobowitz and Fred Smith - March 2, 2021
This week, the United States Department of Education (USDE) sent a letter to chief state school officers directing them to administer state-level standardized testing in 2021.
This annual testing, waived in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and has had bipartisan support. It encompasses English Language Arts (ELA) and math tests in grades 3 – 8; science in grades 4 and 8; and one test each in ELA, math, and science at the high school level. These tests are now needed, the federal Department of Education rationalizes, to “understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning and identify what resources and supports students need.”
We focus this blog post on the 3 – 8 statewide exams for two reasons. The New York State Education CONTINUE READING: Ed Notes Online: Fred Smith/Robin Jacobowitz: Why Biden Admin Support for Testing in Pandemic is Wrong
