The rhetoric of state assessment: Educational politics in the public school system

In this thesis I explore the rhetoric behind the assessment push nation-wide and, particularly, in California. I take a close look at what politicians, educators, and citizens say about public education and their views of the current educational reform: whether they are speaking in support of or opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. I look specifically at the finances of public education in California, the impact and current outcome of NCLB, and propose new reforms as suggested by those intimately involved in education

Benefits or Harms of No Child Left Behind

ABSTRACT BENEFITS OR HARMS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND by Judy Block The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reauthorizes and extensively amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and establishes control over the majority of federal programs and spending that affect public education. Embedded in the Act are various requirements that states and schools must adhere to as a condition of receiving federal education funds as well as harsh sanctions for failing to meet the requirements. No Child Left Behind notably shifts federal education policy by expanding its role into the areas of standards and assessment, accountability, curricula, discipline and administration, and providership. The Act also exacerbates tensions and blurs the line between competing ideologies of the role and nature of public education. NCLB\u27s dominant reliance on proven research methods and statistical data, and its provisions regarding student assessment, failing schools, and parental choice open the schoolhouse door to commercial marketteers, further transforming public education into a consumer good, classrooms into marketplaces, and students and teachers into immaterial byproducts. No Child Left Behind\u27s requirements often have more than one result, with some results doing more harm than the Act\u27s stated good. The principle of double effect (PDE) provides a lens to evaluate instances where there are two effects of a single act; that is,PDE can explain the permissibility of an action that causes an undesired or harmful effect secondary to promoting some good end. By using philosophical analysis generally, and the principle of double effect specifically, this dissertation examines No Child Left Behind’s implementation requirements, specific programs, and their effects to determine the Act\u27s benefits or harms. The dissertation proceeds with a review of NCLB\u27s historical context and key features, an introduction to the principle of double effect, and a discussion of democratic and market ideologies and their relationship with education. This dissertation recognizes the various populations affected by the Act, but focuses specifically on students with disabilities and the relationship of the principle of double effect to the implications of NCLB. Chapter Four extends the principle of double effect to NCLB\u27s implementation requirements and specific programs to identify their consequences or effects. The dissertation concludes with a synthesis of the questions and problems presented by NCLB and the implications for students, teachers, public education, and our communities

The impact of teacher effect on student math competency achievement

Using 4th grade student achievement math scores and Tennessee Value- Added Assessment System (TVAAS) math teacher effectiveness estimates for grades 5-8 (matched to individual students) as predictor variables, this study\u27s purpose was to ascertain the residual and cumulative effects of these teachers on student 9th grade Competency scores. Students from 2 large districts who were 9th graders in the fall of 1997 with complete information were included. From the base model ANOVA, partial sums of squares for teacher estimates for all grades were significant, indicating the presence of residual effects free of partial confounding by other variables: 5th, F=8.75, p-value = 0.0031; 6th, F=14.82, p-value=0.0001: 7th, F=25.75, p-value = 0.0001; 8th, F=73.43, p-value = 0.0001. The differential effect of 5th and 6th grade teachers on 4th grade prior achievement levels produced mean Competency 9th grade scores for students in the bottom quartile ranging from 59-65 (se=0.63 to 0.81), depending on the level of teacher effectiveness students encountered in 5th grade. Competency means for similar low-achieving students assigned to 4 consecutive very ineffective teachers were 53.6 (se=0.733) versus 71.8 (se=.939) for 4 very effective teachers (70 is required for passing). Although a significant ethnic effect was apparent, it paled in comparison to this student Competency score response to 4 similarly effective teachers. Substituting a success variable in place of the grade Competency score as the dependent variable allowed the determination of passing probabilities for various sequences of teachers with each quartile of 4th grade student prior achievement. As the assumed cut score was raised, student passing probability at 9th grade grew increasingly more dependent on 4th grade scores and teacher effectiveness estimates for grades 5-8: F=82.12 at 60 versus 129.83 at 80 (p-values=0.0001). Although all children benefited from highly effective teachers, the lower 50% benefited most. A change in level of effectiveness of teacher sequence increased the probability of passing to at least 50/50 for at least one quartile of students for each assumed cut score. Conclusions: (1) Tennessee\u27s current high stakes student test is holding students accountable for something beyond their control, and the punitive policies associated with it should be reviewed for appropriateness. (2) the availability of effective teachers for lower achieving students is a critical determinant in their ability to pass. (3) Broad variability in teacher effectiveness suggests a need for improved teacher preparation and additional staff development opportunities for practicing teachers with improved accountability measures for teacher preparation

Civil Rights, Charter Schools, and Lessons to Be Learned

Two major structural shifts have occurred in education reform in the past two decades: the decline of civil rights reforms and the rise of charter schools. Courts and policy makers have relegated traditional civil rights reforms that address segregation, poverty, disability, and language barriers to near irrelevance, while charter schools and policies supporting their creation and expansion have rapidly increased and now dominate federal policy. Advocates of traditional civil rights reforms interpret the success of charter schools as a threat to their cause, and, consequently, have fought the expansion of charter schools. This Article argues that the civil rights community has misinterpreted both its own decline and the rise of charter schools. Rather than look for external explanations, civil rights advocates should turn their scrutiny inward. And, rather than attack charter schools, they should learn from them. A close examination of past civil rights movements in education reveals that their decline was inevitable. Each of the various educational movements depended on establishing a causal connection between the reform sought and positive student outcomes. But precisely establishing causal connections in education is nearly impossible. Education involves too many variables to isolate conclusively the effects of educational policies on student outcomes. Ignoring this reality leaves civil rights reforms vulnerable to contraction. This weakness-not competition from charter schools-continues to undermine civil rights reform. Charter schools suffer from the same causal weakness, but it is not impeding their expansion because the charter movement, unlike civil rights, is not based primarily on evidence. Instead, charter school advocates emphasize ideological values that appeal to broad constituencies. These value-based constituencies form a movement that forces the expansion of charter schools and is undeterred by evidentiary critique. To regain relevance, civil rights advocates must scale back their reliance on evidentiary claims and reframe their arguments in terms of compelling values that can again inspire a movement.

Civil Rights, Charter Schools, and Lessons to Be Learned

Two major structural shifts have occurred in education reform in the past two decades: the decline of civil rights reforms and the rise of charter schools. Courts and policy makers have relegated traditional civil rights reforms that address segregation, poverty, disability, and language barriers to near irrelevance, while charter schools and policies supporting their creation and expansion have rapidly increased and now dominate federal policy. Advocates of traditional civil rights reforms interpret the success of charter schools as a threat to their cause, and, consequently, have fought the expansion of charter schools. This Article argues that the civil rights community has misinterpreted both its own decline and the rise of charter schools. Rather than look for external explanations, civil rights advocates should turn their scrutiny inward. And, rather than attack charter schools, they should learn from them. A close examination of past civil rights movements in education reveals that their decline was inevitable. Each of the various educational movements depended on establishing a causal connection between the reform sought and positive student outcomes. But precisely establishing causal connections in education is nearly impossible. Education involves too many variables to isolate conclusively the effects of educational policies on student outcomes. Ignoring this reality leaves civil rights reforms vulnerable to contraction. This weakness-not competition from charter schools-continues to undermine civil rights reform. Charter schools suffer from the same causal weakness, but it is not impeding their expansion because the charter movement, unlike civil rights, is not based primarily on evidence. Instead, charter school advocates emphasize ideological values that appeal to broad constituencies. These value-based constituencies form a movement that forces the expansion of charter schools and is undeterred by evidentiary critique. To regain relevance, civil rights advocates must scale back their reliance on evidentiary claims and reframe their arguments in terms of compelling values that can again inspire a movement.

Educational assessment: Exploring the relationship between computer adaptive testing, data analysis, and student achievement

The research on the potential relationship of the Northwest Evaluation Association\u27s Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) and the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) was conducted in two phases and focused on middle schools with a grade configuration of 6-8 in the state of Illinois. The first phase of the research examined whether or not a significant relationship existed between NWEA MAP test participation by middle schools in Illinois, and ISAT growth over time. A total of 86 schools were involved in the research associated with Phase 1. The second phase of the study aimed to find out if the NWEA members\u27 self-reported level of data-driven decision making practices was associated with ISAT growth over time. An original data-driven decision making (DDDM) survey was employed to measure the use of data-driven decision making practices at each middle school selected for the study. The DDDM survey questions were created based on the major recommendations that are found in the book Data Wise (Boudett, 2005a). For each of the 8 major Data Wise recommendations, one question was formed to measure the level of implementation for each school. A total of 31 of the 43 identified principals participated in the study, for a return rate of 72%. Ultimately, this quantitative research failed to reject both of the null hypotheses. However, the DDDM survey did illuminate a discrepancy in the reported implementation level of Assessment Literacy compared to the other 7 survey questions. Recommendations for future research include conducting an in-depth study of a few schools that have a proven record of rapid growth, in an attempt to distill the specific factors that allow certain NWEA member schools to experience success. A second approach would be to follow a cohort of schools from the implementation stage with NWEA through the first few years of use, attempting to identify the decisions and actions that lead to measurable growth. Finally, deciphering which terms and processes are crucial to an effective understanding of assessment literacy could also prove beneficial to the broader educational community