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Diane Ravitch’s response is trenchant and to the point. I wish all teachers and principals could read it.

How desperate of the chancellor to pay for his own version of truth and email it to principals. How sad that he is unwilling to face the problems that exist, that he must trumpet his success at all costs. We know things are not progressing at the dizzying rate that he claims; we know that the mandated math and literacy programs leave much to be desired, and that test prep has gone much too far.

I have scored ELA tests. I have seen how the rubric allows us to award points to students with dismal writing, simply because they have included “text-based details” or completed a graphic organizer. I wish the state could publish extensive samples of student writing that earned a score of 2 or 3. I believe many would be alarmed.

I want my students to learn to think and write clearly. I want them to read and ponder excellent literature. All of this is possible, but it is not the emphasis of the DoE or of the tests. Students learn to restate the question in the answer; to bring up “text-based details”; to use transitional words and phrases (“first of all,” “second,” “third,” “in conclusion,” etc.); to complete the ubiquitous graphic organizer; and to follow directions exactly. This often does not lead to coherent writing, but it results in a passing score.

Diane Ravitch points out repeatedly that the so-called historic gains of our district are not what they appear. Increases in New York State test scores do not coincide with substantial learning. I agree and am deeply grateful for her arguments. What is education supposed to be? A test score increase? A bland success story? I hope for much more.

Sorry I meant to say “If all barns are red and this building is red, then this building must be a barn!” I fell strongly that education is being screwed over by big companies who have slotys of money to be made. it is very sad teime to be a teacher,

Daniel Koretz’ Education Week piece “What’s Missing in Obama’s Education Plan?” o(April 29, Commentary page), is a must-read. He writes, “Scores on the accountability tests usually increase and for a time we are greeted with claims of success. Eventually, less-encouraging data catch up with us–for example, scores on other tests less vulnerable to inflation, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress and international comparative studies. A crisis is declared, we make up a new accountability system, and the cycle begins anew.” He points out the damage done by these claims of success: “While not ubiquitous, score inflation is common and sometimes very large, and it is likely to hurt the most disadvantaged students the most.”

Also, Jackie Bennett makes great points in her Edwize piece about Klein’s letter to the principals (http://www.edwize.org/mr-klein-and-naep). She writes, “Frankly, I have never liked the DOE approach to reading, and I think there is a ceiling (a pretty low ceiling) of how much you can improve by teaching testing skills disguised as reading skills.”

Balanced Literacy is glorified test prep in many ways. Lessons revolve around a “strategy.” Students learn strategies more than they learn grammar or literature. Unless the school has a literature curriculum, the students may read no literature at all. The strategies may boost the test scores (especially on tests that likewise emphasize strategies), but they will not do much more.