Twitter Book Club: @alfiekohn (2004) What Does It Mean To Be Well Educated? - Two:7

Two: Standards and Testing
7. Sacrificing Learning for Higher Scores

"For policy makers, it may seem reasonable to demand 'tougher standards' and to recite slogans such as 'accountabil... http://tl.gd/9osi3cless than a minute ago via Twittelator Favorite Retweet Replyanderscj
anderscj

"For policy makers, it may seem reasonable to demand 'tougher standards' and to recite slogans such as 'accountability.' But in real schools, things look quite different. We need to think carefully about the trade-offs the current school-reform movement entails. Indeed, the evidence suggests that higher scores in a given school or community may actually be cause for concern. Reports of rising test performance should lead us to ask, 'What was taken away from my children's education in order to make them better at taking standardized tests?'" Kohn

And then, when we answer that last question, who do we hold accountable for the loss of those things? Who do we hold accountable for the loss of arts, FACS, physical education, after-school enrichment programs, etc.?