Friday, April 26, 2013

UPDATE: The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’ +Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests

Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests:




The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’

Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was in Washington D.C. on Thursday at the National Press Club to launch a campaign grounded in a new book, ”Closing the Opportunity Gap,” that he … Continue reading →



Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests


(www.NYSUT.org)
Sample question (www.NYSUT.org)
Here’s an argument about why it matters when state education departments refuse to release sample questions on state standardized accountability tests. This was written by Aaron Pallas, professor of sociology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He writes the Sociological Eye on Education blog — where this post first appeared — for The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, non-partisan education-news outlet affiliated with the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media.
By Aaron Pallas
First Rule of Fight Club: Do Not Talk about Fight Club
 Second Rule of Fight Club: DO NOT TALK about Fight Club
Has the New York State Education Department watched too many Brad Pitt movies? Okay, that’s a rhetorical question, but one that might be posed to other state education agencies also engaged in the business of high-stakes testing. This week, students in grades 3 through 8 across the state of New York are taking mathematics exams aligned with the Common 

AP program isn’t all it’s cracked up to be — study

A new study from Stanford University that reviews research on the Advanced Placement program of college-level high school courses concludes that the common wisdom about AP — including about how much benefit students get from it  — is not accurate. … Continue reading →

Why famous dropouts aren’t the best advocates for staying in school

Mark Wahlberg, the wildly successful actor and musician and producer and actor, appeared at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria to encourage kids to stay in school and get their degree. He dropped out in ninth grade, and now, at 41, … Continue reading →