"Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3..."

By Sean C. Feeney: "Superintendents in New York State’s public school districts have for the last week or so been receiving what’s called the “growth scores” for teachers of grades 4-8 and principals serving grades 4-8 and 9-12. These scores are based on the new Common Core test results, which saw a 30-point drop in students being classified as “proficient.” Although our commissioner of education has repeatedly tried to assure the public that the dramatic drop in student scores does not reflect negatively on student, teacher or school performance, this message flies in the face of reality. As the state continues to “build its plane in the air” — meaning that it is implementing an educator evaluation system before it has really been properly designed –  those of us who work in schools are seeing how destructive these poorly planned initiatives have been.

As thousands of educators across New York State have publicly indicated, the excessive testing and use of student scores to rate teachers, principals and schools is misguided, not based in sound research and rushed in its implementation. These facts are ignored at the peril of our students and schools.
 

As we see more results of New York state’s initiatives, the more serious problems and contradictions are revealed. Looking deeply into the recently released scores, three glaring problems became immediately obvious..."
Full article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/10/good-or-bad-new-rating-system-cant-decide-about-this-principal/

The harder state tests did more than cause two-thirds of city students to flunk — they also widened the achievement gap, according to new data obtained by the Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/achievement-gap-widens-city-new-standardized-tests-article-1.1423531 ;

"Mercedes Schneider has undertaken an immense task. She decided to spend her free time -- when she is not teaching -- trying to figure out how much the Gates Foundation paid various organizations to write, develop, implement, promote, and advocate for the Common Core standards.

This is a herculean job because the foundation has been so free-handed with its money. To its credit, the Gates Foundation has a website that enables researchers to identify their grants over time. At a certain point, as you go through the list of who got how much money to "promote" the CCSS, you start to wonder "who DIDN'T get Gates money?"

This is her first post, where she shows that the Gates Foundation underwrote the organizations writing the Common Core standards: the National Governors Association, Student Achievement Partners (David Coleman), the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve. She sums up what she found: "In total, the four organizations primarily responsible for CCSS -- NGA, CCSSO, Achieve, and Student Achievement Partners -- have taken $147.9 million from Bill Gates."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/bill-gates-common-core_b_4079447.html ;

"Supporters often position Common Core as a bold and results-driven undertaking to finally address deep inequalities in public education by creating one set of clear expectations critical to producing graduates who can compete in a global economy."...

"But vehement arguments rage across the country about the intentions of Common Core's framers and the standards' effects on students and curricula. Many opponents worry that Common Core's nationwide scope and uniformity will signal diminishment, or even the end of local control in public education, a bedrock value for many Americans. Anxiety about federal government overreach also frequently punctuates the criticism."...

 Full story by Paul Schott at: 
http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Common-Core-The-debate-rages-4872155.php

By Diane Ravitch, Dec. 6th, 2013 - "The high pressure to compete for limited spots in university is a contributing factor to the high suicide rate in China among young people ages 15-34, according to this news report." http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/suicide-09112013114030.html