Curiouser and Curiouser: Alice in Testingland
Once upon a time in Wonderland, a prestigious national commission declared that the state of health care in that country was abominable. There were so many unhealthy people walking around […]
Peterkin’s Proposals; A Good First Step on a Long March
Change does not come easily. The kind of dramatic, thoroughgoing change Superintendent Peterkin and the Milwaukee School Board have recently discussed promises to be an enormously difficult task. Both the […]
It’s Time to Rethink Standardized Testing
Two years ago in an issue focusing on eating we critiqued the growing national obsession with standardized tests that is increasingly determining how students experience schools. Even though this “testing […]
Norquist/Peterkin Disagreement
In the past couple of months Mayo Norquist and superintendent Peterkin have held numerous meetings to negotiate the future of the Milwaukee school building construction program. They have discussed how […]
Standardized Testing Criticized
Standardized tests came under sharp criticism at a recent public hearing at the School Administration Building. The frustration of many teachers with current MPS testing policy was expressed by Mary […]
Assessment Alternatives in the High Schools
From a thousand conversations in school board meetings, faculty lunch rooms, and commissions on education, we can distill this archetypal exchange on secondary testing: The Restless Critic: We’ve got to […]
Whole Language Pilots Begin
“What is a whole language curriculum?” “What materials should we be using in our classrooms?” “What do we do about assessment?” These are some of the questions on the minds […]
The Mismeasure of Man
Nostalgia is a common affliction. Whether we fondly recall a less polluted landscape, stronger family bonds, or schools that truly educated, the past, or its illusion, evokes better days. On […]
The Case Against Standardized Achievement Tests
No phenomenon poses a greater threat to educational equity, and ultimately, to the quality of education in this country, than does the differential performance of minority and majority students on […]
Testing of Young Children Challenged
Statement or the problem The practice of administering standardized tests to young children bas increased dramatically in recent years. Many school systems now routinely administer some form of standardized developmental […]
