Just minutes ago, we were telling you about how those assessment consortia are evolving in their bids for Race to the Top money. Now comes the news that Susan Gendron, Maine's commissioner of education, is leaving her job to help lead one of those consortia. The news left one state lawmaker lamenti... Read Full Post >
The leaders of the common standards initiative are pushing to make different common assessments comparable across states. Read Full Post >
About six percent of high school seniors in Massachusetts have yet to pass a science exam required to earn a diploma. Read Full Post >
Dear Diane, I wish you were going to be with us this Saturday as we celebrate the work we have accomplished over the past half-century and figure out how to counter the latest onslaught. Our friend teacherken quotes Les Leopold's question in his recent blog. "Why Are 25 Hedge Fund Managers Worth 6... Read Full Post >
Dear Deborah, In my book I argue that No Child Left Behind was a failed strategy. We both know the reasons why. It narrowed the curriculum; it introduced a culture of testing and test prepping into the nation's schools; it represented an unprecedented extension of federal control into the nation's... Read Full Post >
Dear Diane, Here's an essential question: When trying to get at the truth of things, what role do data play? Most of the time our "habits" take over before we can exercise any form of reflective judgment (which is why John Dewey focused on "habits of mind" as the goal of good schools). Habits are s... Read Full Post >
What's the RTT assessment competition about, and what do some folks have to say about it? Read our story. Read Full Post >
Race to the Top assessment consortia merge into three groups. Read Full Post >
A new study finds key costs savings for assessment systems that tilt more toward essays and performance-based items. Read Full Post >
Dear Deborah, Today I am going to cheat. Well, not really cheat, but just deal with the fact that I am hard pressed to find time to do much more than breathe and sleep (I do not include "eat" because I have been skipping meals, and I should not include "sleep" because I don't do much of that eithe... Read Full Post >
