If you read the Washington Post, you may already have seen reporter Jay Mathews' article about the Saxon math program, which helps children learn but which the powers that be in most school districts refuse to adopt. Also worth your while are two recent pieces that the prolific Mathews wrote for the Post's web site, one analyzing complaints by teachers about test-driven instruction, the other proposing that districts allow schools to be exempted from testing programs if parents in the school reject the test. (The latter poses a neat dilemma for those who favor both test-based accountability and parent empowerment!)
"Not on the same page" (on Saxon math) by Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 19, 2001
"From teachers to drill sergeants," by Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 19, 2001
"Parental influence on annual tests," by Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 12, 2001