An article in the Sept. 14, 2009 New York Time points out that it seems to take fewer correct answers every year to pass state math tests. While the state argues that tests are not getting easier, it does give one pause to wonder if apparent gains in your school’s scores are real. This may be especially true for your lowest functioning students who take odd-year tests that feature only multiple choice items. Here is a quote from the article that should make you wonder.

A side effect of the adjustments in scoring is that on 5 of the 12 math and English tests this year, a student had a better-than-even chance of earning a Level 2 mark— a failing grade that reflects “partially meeting learning standards” — simply by guessing. On the sixth-grade English test, for instance, a student had an 89 percent chance of reaching Level 2 this year by randomly guessing, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

Click here to see the the entire article.

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These two heavyweights are both trying to improve education by throwing money at the problem. The Obama administration’s $4 billion “Race to the Top” fund will go to the states that can convince government raters that they have the best reform agendas. The feds are also spending $350 million to help create common assessments for the nation that will replace the individual tests that states currently create and use to rate schools as required by federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation.
Meanwhile, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is donating $350 million in the next ten years to answer the question: “What, exactly, makes a good teacher effective.
With the federal government spending over twelve times as much as the Gates foundation, you would think that they would show more dramatic and significant results. Since it is too soon to tell, all we can do is place our bets. What do you think. Email your pick to me (dgreen@stny.rr.com) and I will post the results. After I get your votes I will post a detailed rational for who I think will win and why.

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Education Week reports that Hawaii’s teacher furlough might affect the state’s chances of wining part of the federal government’s Race to the top grant money. The article notes that fewer than half of the states are likely to win money. The grant process, just released, will funnel $4 billion to the winning states. Information that has been released about the process has already caused several states to rescind laws that prevent using results of state tests to evaluate teachers. Stay tuned to this blog for news on Race to the Top as it becomes available. Here is the link for the entire Education Week article.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/12/313413hiteacherfurloughs_ap.html?tkn=RSTFNJdV1%2Fuwf993yvUL6579oR1kR5GRR3Jx

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Its a good thing that many public universities don’t have to worry about graduation rates like high schools do. A recent study of 68 colleges show many have graduation rates below 50%. The best schools have the highest rates and poor student don’t do as well. Freshmen are less expensive to educate than seniors due to class size which gives schools a financial incentive to produce drop outs. Graduates make 54% more than those with some college but too many see no reason to finish in four years.

Click here to download the article in the New York Times from 9/9/2009.

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