Language is an Imperfect Model
Submitted by Phil on Mon, 10/16/2017 – 05:45
“Applying simple solutions to complex problems creates more complex problems.” -Ronald Heifetz
Recently Indiana released the A-F grades for its schools. Each year there is a chance any given school’s ISTEP+ scores and A-F grades may go up or down. This is because ISTEP+ fits statistical models and “regression to the mean” is a real thing.
Continue reading “Indiana’s Schools Deserve Better”Submitted by Phil on Mon, 05/01/2017 – 15:52
For 16 years since the passage of No Child Left Behind, Indiana has been following the lead of the United States Department of Education, educational testing companies, and standardized testing experts. In those 16 years, the focus of your child’s education has been narrowed by this “Testing Industrial Complex” to a single annual test: a “summative” test these experts promised would measure students, identify poor teachers, rank schools and communities, fix bad schools, catapult the US to the top of the international rankings, and close the achievement gap. To help accomplish this, they offered schools the chance to buy their “teacher-proof” textbooks and take their standardized “formative” tests, too.
Continue reading “Unique not Special”Submitted by Phil on Mon, 05/01/2017 – 15:50
The major problem of the current model of assessing students and schools is not tests; it is the misuse of tests.
Continue reading “Simplicity vs Simplistic”Submitted by Phil on Mon, 05/01/2017 – 15:33
Since I have returned, I have been asked whether I think we could match Finland’s success in Indiana. There are conditions contributing to Finland’s success that Indiana will probably never be able to duplicate (its homogeneous society and universal early child care). That being said, the Finns would love to have our talent for creativity and innovation, which is born of our diversity. I did come away with three concrete ideas that are applicable to Indiana.
Continue reading “What Indiana Can Learn from Finland”