You may recall the controversy around an earlier work of Charles Murray: “The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life” published in 1994 in which he and his co-author, Richard Hernstein, attempted to make the case that IQ (Intelligence Quotient) trumps social class as a predictor of academic achievement. They explored the possibility of group differences in IQ and this was the third rail for many.

As a scion of the right wing, Murray has never shied away from controversial views and in recent years he has turned his attention to NCLB. I cringe at the thought that I find areas of agreement with someone like Murray, but that is the “strange bedfellow” nature of the widespread and ideological diverse opposition to the the law that has emerged particularly in the last two years. (more…)

I have been taking the pulse of education policy on a daily basis for over a decade thanks in large measure to the internet and the information revolution. Frankly it is depressing at times and the last two weeks have been a good example.

Consider some of the events that have unfolded. Two important court cases made the news in Connecticut: A federal judge threw out the last remaining charge in Connecticut’s suit against the federal government related to NCLB. The Connecticut State Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an appeal of a case related to access to quality education (CCJEF v. Rell). In a bizarre presentation on behalf of the defendants, the state asserted that as a constitutional matter all that is guaranteed to Connecticut students is a school to go to - quality is not within the purview of the courts. It is best left to the legislative and executive branches of government. The Legislative and Executive branches concurred on a budget this week which will very likely cause disruption of education budgets,  particularly in districts with the most vulnerable populations such as Bridgeport. (more…)

With eight months remaining until a new administration, Secretary Spellings released a draft of far-reaching NCLB regulations for public comment this week which, as quoted in Education Week, she characterized as “bulldozers to tear down the barriers to reform.” The new regulations deal with significant areas of the law such as how districts report high school graduation rates, School Choice and Tutoring, the so-called ‘N’ Size (the minimum number of students in a subgroup required before a school is held accountable, and changes or “clarifications” to the State Testing requirements. (more…)

Teacher Magazine posted highlights of reaction to Seattle teacher Carl Chew’s act of protest against standardized testing by members of the Teacher Leaders Network. You can read the comments here. TLN is a professional community of accomplished educators.

Carl Chew is a sixth grade science teacher in a Seattle middle school. The WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) is the state test. Each year Mr. Chew has had growing reservations regarding the value of the test and its impact on his students and the educational process. This year he decided to commit an act of civil disobedience and on April 15th he met with school administrators and indicated that he would not administer the test. As a consequence of his act of insubordination, he has been suspended without pay for nine days. 

On April 22, Mr. Chew issued a statement on the internet to explain why he refused to administer the test. While we may have varying opinions on Carl Chew’s decision, he has focused attention on the test and many of the issues he raises in his four page statement will resonate with critics of high stakes testing.

Read the statement here

Seattle Times article April 22, 2008

Twenty-five years after the release of the controversial report, “A Nation at Risk”, the sides are still drawn and many feel we are indeed at risk if we do not see fundamental change to the approach taken by NCLB.

One key figure, Rep. George Miller, Chair of the House Education Committee was quoted this week as saying: “This is exactly the right time to pause at the end of this administration and at the beginning of the next administration and rethink the federal role in K-12 education” (see David Hoff’s blog)

A report issued this week by the Forum for Education and Democracy offers what it characterizes as a “roadmap for federal policy”. Linda Darling-Hammond, of Stanford University and co-author of the report, says, While other countries have made strategic investments and transformed their schools to produce results, we have demanded results without investing in or transforming schooling.” The new role suggested by the report should include fully funding federal commitments to low-income students, investing on a “Marshall plan” for teachers and school leaders, refocusing research on educator’s needs, and deepening community ties to their schools.

Democracy at Risk:The Need for a New Federal policy in Education

Imagination is no mere ornament, nor is art. Together they can liberate us from our indurated habits. They might help us restore decent purpose to our efforts and help us create the kind of schools our children deserve and our culture needs. Those aspirations, my friends, are stars worth stretching for.

Elliot Eisner

The Hartford Courant this week sponsored an important discussion: “A Colloquium: Equity of Access to Arts in Education.” They are to be applauded for this. I was unable to attend, but fortunately have received notes on the discussion. As a former arts educator and advocate I have participated in many such discussions in the last thirty years or so and it is both heartening and discouraging to see so many of the same themes emerge. And yet I cannot think of a more perilous time for the arts in education, nor can I imagine a time when a reinfusion of the arts is more critical. (more…)

Three days after Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that the department will ensure all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school, the Inspector General released a report highly critical of the department for failing to enforce a requirement of the law related to the reporting of graduation rates. (more…)

It is worth repeating that there is no question that assessment/testing will continue to be a central element in our public education system. But can we at least agree that the most important assessments are those that are closest to and contribute directly to the teaching /learning process. All too frequently these so-called formative assessments get lost in the debate and yet they provide the most immediate feedback to students about the degree to which they are learning what is being taught and to teachers about the effectiveness of their teaching. Of even more importance formative assessments provide information necessary to tailor instruction to the needs of individual students. (more…)

Yesterday I was flying home from a brief vacation in the Sunshine State. While waiting for our plane to depart, a young woman across the aisle was making a last minute call. She spoke in Russian. At the end of the flight we had a brief conversation and she spoke in flawless English. I was reminded once again of something I continue to regret that I have never reached fluency in a second language. As an American I am not alone of course. Three years of Latin and two years of French met my academic requirements, but little else. (more…)