HOOSIER HAVOC
Following several years of inter-governmental conflict over the direction of education policy in Indiana, Governor Mike Pence has formally called for state lawmakers to elect a replacement for Board of Education Chairwoman Glenda Ritz. “I think the coming legislative session should be (an) education session and we should focus on our kids and teachers and what’s happening in our classrooms in Indiana,” Pence remarked in his announcement.
THE STUDENT ACHIEMENT METRICS ARE ALWAYS GREENER
Education reformers often find inspiration in the education systems of other countries. However, Dr. Tom Loveless reveals the potential perils in this practice; namely, the trickiness of identifying variables that translate across borders and the dangers of confirmation bias. While these overseas investigations often yield new insights, its important that we be careful in choosing what we take away.
NEW TESTING STIRS DOUBTS IN CALIFORNIA
The 2014–2015 school year marks the first year that the new Common Core- aligned Smarter Balanced tests will be administered to students across the country. Some experts are concerned that the recalibrated Academic Performance Index, which measures student comprehension of the new standards and readiness for careers and college, does not accurately identify students’ progress. With the Smarter Balanced assessments expected to prove far more challenging than past state tests, worries persist that student performance will seem to have declined rapidly when scores are announced.
DOES NORTH CAROLINA HAVE A KOCH PROBLEM?
The North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction is encouraging schools to utilize materials developed by a Koch brothers-supported institute in a mandatory class on founding principles. Predictably, the state endorsement has angered many who find the billionaire brothers’ much-publicized political activism troubling. The content, intended for use by high school social studies teachers, is causing alarm at the same moment that new AP U.S. history materials have sown controversy over perceived bias.
