Re: Fw: hickok

[aburke5054@aol.com]

Jerry claims .."Once again, a Bush administration program assumes that 
as soon as money leaves the public sector for the private sector (up to 
$2 billion a year for the tutoring), everything will work just fine, no 
accountability needed. "  This is absolute nonsense.

It's true that states have been lax in keeping an eye on providers of 
"supplemental educational services".  But,  contrary to what Jerry 
says, NCLB requires states to exercise due diligence in selecting 
providers, to closely monitor their activities, and to sever 
relationships with providers that fail to demonstrate that they are 
helping children.

The feds' guidance on SES states:

"In conducting its approval process, the SEA must ensure that each 
provider it approves:

1.  Has a demonstrated record of effectiveness in increasing student 
academic achievement [Section 1116(e)(12)(B)(i)];
2.  Will use instructional strategies that are high quality, based upon 
research, and designed to increase student academic achievement (see 
C-17 for additional information) [Section 1116(e)(12)(C)];
3.  Provides services that are consistent with the instructional program 
of the LEA and with State academic content and achievement standards 
(see C-18 for additional information) [Sections 11116(e)(5)(B) and 
1116(e)(12)(B)(ii)];

Source:  http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2002/12/12122002.html

Futhermore, states are supposed to "Develop, implement, and publicly 
report on standards and techniques for monitoring the quality and 
effectiveness of services offered by approved supplemental educational 
services providers, and for withdrawing approval from providers that 
fail, for two consecutive years, to contribute to increasing the 
academic proficiency of students served by the providers ".

And ...

 "... a district's contract with a provider must require detailed 
achievement goals for the individual student, a timeline for meeting 
the goals, a method to measure student improvement, and a schedule for 
informing parents and teachers about student progress."

Source:  
http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/suppsvcs/sesprograms/report_pg8.html#goals



Art

-----Original Message-----
From: GERALD BRACEY <gbracey1@verizon.net>
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Sent: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 11:18:09 -0400
Subject: [arn-l] Fw: hickok

  I sent this to the WP the day that Hickok's oped appears. No response 
save acknowledgment that they got it.

JB

----- Original Message ----- From: GERALD BRACEY
To: letters@washpost.com
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 7:45 AM
Subject: hickok



 Eugene W. Hickok's essay on the tutoring available through the No 
Child Left Behind law omits a few inconvenient truths.

 First, he says that "those providing the service have been certified 
by the state as qualified to tutor." In most cases the certification 
process is a joke. There are enormous numbers of companies that 
overwhelm state agencies--states, not districts, certify provideds. 
Caifornia has 214 approved providers. Illinois has 68, and only one 
staff person to oversee results.

 Second, he is hypocritical. There is no evidence that the tutoring 
works. In my paper, No Child Left Behind: Where Does the Money Go? I 
pointed out while public schools are required to provide 
"scientifically based evidence" for the effectiveness of any program 
they wish make part of the school curriculum. The private companies 
that provide most of the tutoring get a free ride. They have no 
scientifically based evidence for effectiveness because they conducted 
no honest research, just marketing research (as I said, the 
certification process is a joke).

 While the law requires "highly qualified teachers" in the schools, it 
makes no such demands on the tutors. They can have any level of 
education.

 Once again, a Bush administration program assumes that as soon as 
money leaves the public sector for the private sector (up to $2 billion 
a year for the tutoring), everything will work just fine, no 
accountability needed. In fact, I am surprised that the Post accepted 
Hickok's essay as a legitimate op-ed. He's just lobbying for more money 
for his clients.

 The paper mentioned can be obtained free by putting the title into 
Google.

Sincerely,


Gerald W. Bracey
1797 Duffield Lane
Alexandria, VA 22307
703-317-1716

 The writer is a former Director of Research, Evaluation and Testing 
for the Virginia Department and is a fellow at the Education Policy 
Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University and at the High/Scope 
Educational Research Foundation, Ypsilanti, Michigan.