Re: AASA's Paul Houston commentary on NCLB

[aburke5054@aol.com]

Paul Houston, speaking as executive director of the American 
Association of School Administrators, says that curriculum is being 
narrowed and there is less innovation and creativity in the schools.  
And the reasons why school administrators are doing this are what again?

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: Monty Neill <monty@fairtest.org>
To: ARN-L <arn-l@interversity.org>; arn2-strategy 
<arn2-strategy@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:25 pm
Subject: [arn-l] AASA's Paul Houston commentary on NCLB


Commentary: Isn't It Amazing?
Education Week, July 23
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In recent weeks, we have seen a flurry
of "studies" on the No Child Left Behind Act that seem to
conclude that it is a wonderful thing. I suggest it is
time we look behind the headlines.

The latest study, commissioned by the Educational Testing
Service, concludes that when the public learns more about
this federal law, they tend to like it better. ("To Know
NCLB Is to Like It, ETS Poll Finds," June 20, 2007.) Now,
far be it from me to suggest bias here, but one must ask:
Who has benefited the most from No Child Left Behind?
Would it be the teachers, who have faced pressures
complying with regulations that bear little relationship
to sound educational practice? Perhaps it is the children,
who have seen their classroom studies narrowed to allow
for more time for testing and test preparation? No, so far
the greatest beneficiary of this law is the testing
industry, which has had more business than it can handle.
This has led not only to higher profits, but also to
inaccurate results and huge errors in scoring and
reporting.

So, a testing-industry study that shows that a law which
requires massive testing is a popular thing seems unworthy
of the coverage it has received.

The results of the ETS study fly in the face of the
results obtained by the American Association of School
Administrators, when we studied the same issues. ("Critics
of NCLB Ask Congress to Overhaul It," Feb. 23, 2007.) We
concluded that the more the public knew about the No Child
Left Behind law, the less they liked it. Who is right
here? Well, it all depends on the questions asked. The ETS
study asked whether the public liked a program that
applied rigorous standards to schools and whether making
certain that all kids learn is a good idea. The answer was
a resounding yes. (Gee, do you think?)

The proponents of the No Child Left Behind law are fond of
pointing out that whatever gets tested gets taught. True.
And whatever does not get tested gets left behind. There
is little doubt at this point that NCLB has narrowed the
curriculum and focused on test results to the exclusion of
a broader educational experience. And there is little
doubt that overemphasizing results on a standardized test
leads to more standardization and less innovation and
creative expression-the coins of the realm in the global
race for success.

Having the testing industry study the results of a massive
program of testing is like having the cigarette industry
do a study of lung cancer.

The AASA dug deeper, underneath the bumper-sticker goals
of No Child Left Behind. We asked whether it was a good
idea to emphasize testing so much that it takes away time
for learning, whether testing kids in English who don't
speak English was reasonable, and whether it made any
sense to treat a school that had fallen down in one area
the same as another that had failed in all areas. The
conclusion by the public was that it didn't.

Having the testing industry study the results of a massive
program of testing is like having the cigarette industry
do a study of lung cancer.

In another recent NCLB study, the Center on Education
Policy, which at least has no dog in the fight, found that
after five years of placing a huge emphasis on testing,
test scores have gone up. I am sure. Put pressure on the
teachers and administrators in our public schools to
produce higher test scores and they will do that. Ask
them, however, whether the children actually know more and
they will tell you that this isn't the case.

An educational program built around tests has the same
validity as a nutritional program built around Twinkies.
Twinkies provide instant gratification, but it is hard to
build a case that they provide the same nutritional value
as a balanced meal. Some might even argue that the sugar
and calories have a deleterious effect on one's health.

The No Child Left Behind Act is currently undergoing
reauthorization by Congress. People who have a vested
interest in seeing that the law is renewed are lining up
to ensure that it is approved with as few changes as
possible. Many have no clue as to what broad effects this
legislation has had on our nation's children or our
ability to compete internationally. Perhaps before
building a case for No Child Left Behind, we need a
conversation on what we really want from our educational
system-higher tests scores or children who can fulfill
their possibilities. Those are not necessarily one and the
same.

Paul D. Houston is the executive director of the American
Association of School Administrators, in Arlington, Va.
________
Daniel Schwartz
Principal
Carleton Washburne School
515 Hibbard Rd.
Winnetka, IL 60093
voice 847-446-5892
fax 847-446-1380


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