Arne Duncan: A Discussion with Students

C-SPAN hosted a discussion between students and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this morning.

The topics covered a wide range, and there were questions asked of the students as well as Secretary Duncan.

I listened to much of it on C-SPAN radio, but plan to re-listen or watch on the Internet soon.

There was discussion about curriculum and local control. No Child left behind and state assessment tests were discussed.

My favorite comment from Arne Duncan involved whether a teacher that brought a student that was three grade levels behind in reading to one grade level behind in one year should be viewed as successful or a failure. Listen to the discussion. I wholeheartedly agree with Secretary Duncan on this one.

Graduate Exams: An attractive idea that turns out to be a disaster?

There is an interesting article in today's New York Times about the new Pennsylvania graduate exam. That is the new test that all high school graduates must pass to get a diploma.

A law adopting statewide high school exams for graduation took effect in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the goal of ensuring that students leaving high school are prepared for college and the workplace. But critics say the requirement has been so watered down that it is unlikely to have major impact.

"The real pattern in states has been that the standards are lowered so much that the exams end up not benefiting students who pass them while still hurting the students who fail them,” said John Robert Warren, an expert on exit exams and a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Other states have used graduate exit exams, and many have lowered the standards so much that they are meaningless, wasting time, effort, and money, while still managing to hurt some students.

"Education officials in Pennsylvania estimate it will cost $176 million to develop and administer the tests and model curriculum through 2014-15, and about $31 million to administer each year after that."

Since school districts do not have to adopt the state test, but can opt for their own evaluation methods, DVSD will need to decide how they will implement the new graduate evaluation requirement.