Ed Week Chat With Berliner and Nichols

Highlights of yesterday's Ed Week chat with Berliner and Nichols

on high-stakes testing posdted on School Matters.

Here's a sample:

Question from Walter Carlson, Parent, Fairfax, Virginia:

I agree there are adverse effects of the NCLB but what other choice does society have when after 3 generations the nation's schools have not been able to address the minority achievement gap -- regardless of how much money they've been given. Tests provide a means to identify were problems are and let focus schools on them. Even many educators are admittng that tests do help identify children who need help and schools that are failing. What other choice do we have besides tests?

David Berliner:

I think this is a bogus strength of NCLB and the tests they demand. For at least 50 years I could have told you what schools were not doing well, based on norm referenced low stakes tests, and I could have told you which kids were not doing well. EVERYONE KNEW!!!!!

Nobody had the will to do anything about it--they were not white middle class kids that were the ones who had the trouble, and so these chidren were abandoned.

I see nothing new in NCLB except that the schools are now to fix all of societies ills. The real issue is do we have the desire to invest in the education of poor kids--after school programs, Saturday programs, summer programs, high quality pre schools, small class size for three years, moving high quality teachers to their schools etc...