Re: NAEP Measure is Too Narrow

[aburke5054@aol.com]

It's an odd argument that criticizes tests of children's achievement in 
reading and math because the tests don't measure whether children vote 
(presumably later in life), stay in shape, or are "prepared for 
lifelong emotional health."  What's odder still is the notion that if 
you want schools to do what Rothstein wants them to do, the first thing 
you do is make up a Federal test.  Note that states have not exactly 
knocked themselves out re-making their schools to get the reading and 
math thing right - they have, in fact, adopted myriad dodges around AYP 
rules.  So what cloud is Rothstein's social-engineering Utopia residing 
on?

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>
To: ARN Main List <arn-l@interversity.org>; arn2-strategy 
<arn2-strategy@yahoogroups.com>; rethinkaccountdc@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 6:10 am
Subject: [arn-l] NAEP Measure is Too Narrow

KEY FEDERAL TEST OF LEARNING IS TOO NARROW, REPORT SAYS

Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog -- February 20, 2008
by Peter Schmidt

The key federal test of students' progress in elementary and secondary
schools offers "a distorted picture of achievement" and fails to fully
examine how well schools prepare students for adult life, says a report
<http://www.tcequity.org/i/a/document/6562_Rothstein_Summary_Report.pdf> 

commissioned by the Campaign for Educational Equity at Teachers College
of Columbia University.

The report, posted online today, argues that the National Assessment of
Educational Progress focuses too narrowly on basic academic and 
critical
thinking skills in measuring how well students are being educated.
Moreover, the report says, the federal benchmarking test fails to gauge
the long-term impact of education because it does not look at whether
adults who were educated at elementary and secondary schools do things
such as vote, read independently, or stay in shape physically.

The report calls for the federal assessment to expand its scope in
Washington and 36 states with high concentrations of disadvantaged 
young
people to look at eight broad areas: social skills and work ethic;
readiness for citizenship and community responsibility; preparation for
lifelong physical health; preparation for lifelong emotional health;
appreciation of the arts and literature; and (for those not destined 
for
college) preparation for lifelong work.

"With NAEP so redesigned, states may be inspired to hold schools and
school districts accountable for the broader range of outcomes that
Americans want from their schools and other institutions of youth
development," the report says.

The authors of the report are Richard Rothstein, a research associate 
at
the Economic Policy Institute; Rebecca Jacobsen, an assistant professor
of education at Michigan State University; and Tamara Wilder, a 
doctoral
student in Teachers College's department of organization and leadership.

   full report at
http://www.tcequity.org/i/a/document/6562_Rothstein_Summary_Report.pdf

   more background at http://www.tcequity.org/article.asp?t=d&id=6512

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