Re: Fw: Bush in denial about charter schools

["Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>]

Bush is in denial also about testing. He equates using standardized tests to measure with knowing how well students, then equates test scores with real learning. He fudges on NAEP results as well. Yes, grade 4 math is at highest levels, but: a) most of the gain occurred before NCLB was implemented, while rate of gain has slowed since NCLB was implemented; b) previous peaks (late 1980s) were only slightly below the current peaks; and c) math gains make have come at expense of other valuable learning, while some analyses of NAEP results suggest those gains are pretty much in routine skills, not in understanding or problem-solving - suggesting in the test-crazed world of many schools, kids are not getting a real foundation, just skills to past tests. Meanwhile, despite years of high-stakes tests, the NAEP long-term trend results show flat scores for decades for all demographic groups at age 17. I'd conclude high-stakes testing is a failed policy - but Bush knows what he knows even when it is not true. Sadly, he is joined by too many Democrats as well as other Republicans. 

Monty 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: GERALD BRACEY 
  To: arn-l@interversity.org ; LiteracyForAll@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 3:24 PM
  Subject: [arn-l] Fw: Bush in denial about charter schools



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: GERALD BRACEY 
  To: Michel Martin ; rsiegel@npr.org ; Michele Norris 
  Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 3:19 PM
  Subject: Bush in denial about charter schools


  Early in his speech today at Woodbridge Elementary, Bush said, "I'm here because this is one of America's fine public charter schools.  I'm here to remind people that charter schools work..."

  Bush must be as deep denial about charters as he is about Iraq.  Only last week the Washington Post reported that 89%, 42 of 47, of the District's charters failed to make AYP.  The regular publics didn't do much better but the original promise, the sine qua non of charters was their promise to improve achievement.

  Gerald Bracey