Re: a request for information on behalf of a Congressman

["GERALD BRACEY" <gbracey1@verizon.net>]

Ken,

If you put "No Child Left Behind: Where Does the Money Go?" into Google, 
you'll get a paper I wrote two years ago for Alex Molnar's policy group at 
Arizona State.  The numbers will be a little dated, but the players are the 
same.  Probably most change would be in the amount of money garnered from 
"formative assessments."  I focused on testing companies and SES providers, 
with some analysis of Sandy Kress' lobbying for the testing companies.

Jerry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Bernstein" <kber@earthlink.net>
To: <kber@earthlink.net>
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 4:29 PM
Subject: [arn-l] a request for information on behalf of a Congressman


> Some of you will receive multiple copies, as I am posting this request to 
> multiple lists.  Yesterday I had meeting with a Congressman not on 
> Miller's education committee but personally very strongly interested in 
> education.  He, and his chief of staff, were kind enough to spend almost 
> an hour with me.
>
> Two specific requests for which I need help.
>
> 1)  This Congressman has a strong personal interest in issues of special 
> education.  While the list of points put out by Rep Miller include 
> modifying "assessment and accountability so that the academic progress of 
> students can be accrately measured and reported" the Congressman is 
> concerned that we miss the point on severely developmentally impaired 
> students.  We need to be assessing that we are properly preparing them for 
> life skills, for being able to function at least semi-independently. We 
> have a responsibility to ensure that these students are receiving an 
> appropriate education, but so far NCLB does not seem to properly account 
> for them.  In fact, there is real concern that requiring them to be tested 
> in ordinary fashion may lead to a dragging down of overall scores for any 
> school.
>
> Thus the Congressman is very interested in any research on properly 
> assessing such students in particular, and special education students in 
> general, and how we can ensure that they receive equitable treatment in 
> their education - in other words, accountability without punishing the 
> school in which they are located for the fact that they will never reach 
> ordinary proficienty levels.
>
> 2) This particular Congressman is VERY INTERESTED in any documentation of 
> who is profiting from NCLB.   He is aware of course of the Reading First 
> scandal, and worries that such may be the tip of the iceberg.  I know that 
> there is some documentation available, and have myself written about some 
> examples, specifically the clients of Sandy Kress.  He knows also about 
> Neil Bush and Ignite!
>
> Do not assume that I know what you know.  If you think it might be 
> pertinent, don't worry about overburdening me.
>
> I have reason to believe that despite not being on the Committee this 
> Congressman is in a position of some influence for a variety of reasons. 
> Thus I appreciate any help you can offer.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> teacherken aka ken bernstein
>
> Kenneth J. Bernstein
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