What Testing Guru Bill Sanders Really Meant About Multiple Measures

Once in a while, I actually do some reporting, and today I happened to talk Prof. William Sanders, the testing guru whose recent letter to Congressman Miller was leaked to the press and seemed (according to an Ed Daily story) to put Sanders squarely against Miller's proposed use of multiple measures in AYP.

Well, it turns out that Sanders is against the use of portfolios and classroom observations that are often called multiple measures, but not against end of course tests, college entrance tests, and the like that he thinks Miller is talking about. "Those things have a place," says Sanders, who points out that they are already part of the growth model projections that he has developed and are being used in some pilot states.

To those who are concerned about the complexity and transparency of both the current AYP and proposed changes, Sanders says such intricacies are the price of a nuanced and reliable rating system. "A simple system could be developed," he says, noting that some states are going that direction, "but it would be less reliable and more biased [than a more complex one]."

His main accountability concern, however, is not so much that the current AYP relies on "a single test" (a description he says irks him and ignores the fact that there are three years of tests and hundreds if not thousands of test item responses that go into each year's AYP calculations), but rather that it encourages too much focus on lower-performing kids rather than "early high-achieving kids" who get ignored. He proposes a rating system that evaluates schools not only on reducing the achievement gap but also on helping already-proficient kids do even better -- apparently a part of the Tennessee pilot and perhaps what Nevada is trying to do here.

Job Opening In Dallas

"The Dallas Morning News seeks a seasoned reporter to join its prize-winning education team. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated an ability to execute sophisticated enterprise, and he or she will have an eye for fresh, classroom-level topics that resonate with students and parents. Also a must: Investigative skills and the ability to look critically at education policies, practices and politics. This reporter must be a strong writer and be willing and able to juggle a variety of breaking news and longer-term stories. Computer-assisted reporting skills are crucial. Please contact Education Department Head Kamrhan Farwell at kfarwell@dallasnews.com or Education Enterprise Editor Kit Lively at klively@dallasnews.com."

"Tough Liberal" --Friday Reading For Steve Barr & Others

After seven years of hard work, Richard Kahlenberg's long-awaited biography of AFT founder Al Shanker is finally coming out, and -- according to small schools guru Mike Klonsky -- it's got things for both Shanker admirers and detractors to like. As Klonsky writes, Shanker foreshadows things like the Green Dot charters that are now on everyone's minds -- and reminds us how progressive ideas (small schools, charters) can get hijacked by even the most well-intended. Officially out in September, you can order it here.

The War Within The Charter Movement: Quality Vs. Choice

Charter opponents tend to think of charter school folks as one big happy family, while in reality they are anything but that. One of the key dividing lines among charter advocates has to do with quality and accountability -- one side emphasizing it, the other more focused on choice and competition. Following up on yesterday's announcement of the strong test scores in New Orleans, NACSA's Greg Richmond -- strongly on the side of quality and accountability -- sent out an email touting the city's accomplishments.

Leaving Special Ed Kids Behind: What Happens When You Start Mixing Measures

This post from edspresso about a school that fails to make AYP -- but gets rated highly by Newsweek -- gives us a good preview of just how confusing things can get when there's more than one way of measuring school success (edspresso.com: Exposing an Ugly Paradox). The school misses AYP due to special ed kids, but Newsweek is only looking at AP and IP scores. The district of course likes Newsweek's rating better. Who wouldn't? Of course, nothing quite this simplistic is likely to get into NCLB, but it's a good reminder that we already have competing -- and confusing --ratings systems, and most (all?) of them are less rigorous than NCLB's.

Schoolchildren Narrowly Escape Bridge Collapse

Schoolchildren Struggled to Escape NYT
They all said the same thing: It was as if they were suddenly in a movie...One of the scariest sights of all was a yellow school bus sitting atop the rubble. Inside were 50 small children — some as young as 4 years old — who had been on their way to a swimming pool, but now were screaming and crying.

Spellings Off To UNESCO

"The President intends to nominate Margaret Spellings, of Texas, to be a Representative of the United States to the 34th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, for the duration of the conference." (Personnel Announcement)

Big Stories Of The Day

For Schools, What Does Progress Mean? Las Vegas Sun via DA Daily
None [of the 8 growth model states] is going as far as Nevada is proposing: to add points for schools where already-proficient students improve.

Tennessee Steps in at 17 Memphis Schools Commercial Appeal
The Tennessee Department of Education is playing a stronger role in the operation of 17 Memphis schools that have not met state performance standards for the past six years. PLUS: Stricter Standards Cause Drops in Hundreds of Texas' School Ratings Houston Chronicle.

In Alaska, school equality elusive Christian Science Monitor
The state must improve education in rural areas before requiring students to pass the state exit exam, a judge recently ruled. Via EdNews.org.

Mayor spent millions on school board races LA Times
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spent $3.5 million on behalf of three candidates who recently won seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, breaking the record set eight years ago by then-Mayor Richard Riordan, another politician who installed a board majority, according to reports filed Tuesday.

Multiple Measures: Foxes Guarding The Henhouse?

Over at The Quick And The Ed, Kevin Carey points out that one of the main concerns about multiple measures isn't just that it would take the focus off of core subjects like reading and math but also that it would put accountability back in the hands of schools and teachers whose performance is being measured (and who, previous to NCLB, often declined to publish achievement gaps or rate schools rigorously). Carey also asks "What's the law going to look like if there's one version for each of the nation's 14,000 school districts, or 90,000 schools? A lot like having no accountability at all."

Meanwhile over at The Gadfly, Mike Petrilli has a new post that calls Miller's speech a lurch to the left that could could delay reauthorization.

What no one's figured out -- or said out loud at least -- is how far Miller is going to go with these alternatives, or what it will take (if anything) to get new Democrats on board with a NCLB that is any better than the old one.

How Student Achievement Is Like Global Warming 10 Years Ago

Ten years ago there was lots of debate about whether global warming was real or not, and it often seems like that's where we are these days when it comes to research on overall student achievement in the US. This week, a new Bruce Fuller study came out that suggests a falloff in testing gains since NCLB was implemented (Education Week). But a few weeks ago another study from the Center on Education Policy said differently. So where's the consensus? There isn't one. And until there is -- which may never happen -- it's going to be mighty hard for anyone to push for, much less take, bold action towards improving schools.

Testing Expert Questions Multiple Measures

Reactions to the Miller speech continue to trickle in, including a story in yesterday's Ed Daily (subscription required) that reiterates Miller's intent to prevent multiple measures from turning into an "escape hatch" (as if there aren't already enough of those) and tensions with ranking member Buck McKeon, who has threatened to block the bill if necessary.

There's also mention of a letter from testing expert Bill Sanders that calls multiple measures into question: “Most of the measures usually advocated under the banner of ‘multiple measures’ have so little reliability that any attempt to use them in summative assessment is certain to provide results so untrustworthy that essentially no distinction among schools can be made."

Will multiple measures turn into a big "do-or-die issue," or will it be worked out in a way that gives the NEA credit for changing NCLB without gutting the already-loose NCLB accountability framework? I don't exactly know. But my guess is that something will get worked out that allows the reauthorization to move forward even if it doesn't really help the functionality of the law.

Encouraging News For Charter Schools From New Orleans

According to this article at EdWeek ( New Orleans Charters Fare Well in Testing), the first wave of tests results look good for some schools. Charter school students did relatively better than students in the state-run Recovery School District that Paul Vallas recently took over. In response, Vallas says he's implementing longer class days and better PD for teachers. There could be as many as 40 charters in New Orleans within the very near future, according to the article.

Unions & Teachers & School Improvement

Over at Schools for Tomorrow, Ed Rooney sees some unfortunate similarities between the teachers union in Mexico and the ones here. The union there is tremendously powerful, according to the article, spending on education is at 27 percent of the federal budget, but student achievement is low. Pictured is the head of the teachers union in Mexico, apparently known simply as "la meastra."

A Replacement For Secretary Spellings

Forget who's going to be the next President. The real question is who's going to be the next Secretary of Education. And some folks are already putting together their lists. "Who needs another policy wonk or former governor?," asks Mike Antonucci over at The Intelligencer (Winnie Cooper for Secretary of Education). "How about someone who can combine fashion with fractions? And provides homework help on her web site?"

Big Stories Of The Day

A Study Finds Some States Lagging on Graduation Rates NYT
Dozens of states accept any improvement in high school graduation rates as adequate progress, and several set a goal of graduating fewer than 60 percent of their students, according to a study released yesterday by the Education Trust in Washington.

Doubts Cast on Math, Science Teaching Lures EdWeek
Those who have studied financial incentives say evidence is scant that they are attracting substantial numbers of college students and career-changers to math and science teaching, despite years of investments in those programs. PLUS: Teachers Tell Researchers They Like Their Jobs.

Gates Foundation's Education Chief Controls Billions NPR
With more than $3 billion in grant money to give away, [incoming education chief] Phillips arguably has one of the most powerful K-12 jobs in the country.

Textbook Watchdog Norma Gabler Dies NPR
Norma Gabler, who, along with her husband Mel, exerted huge influence over the U.S. textbook industry as a watchdog for material they considered anti-family, has died.

Putting Freshmen In The Spotlight, Putting NCLB Under

Right on schedule, CQ Today has a piece about how the Dems are focused on helping the freshmen keep their seats (Democrats Put Freshmen in Spotlight). Doing so makes obvious sense for the Dems, but not so much for NCLB supporters given the newbies' understandably skeptical views of NCLB. It's not entirely wishful thinking to say (as some do) that the freshmen ran against Iraq and -- to a much lesser degree -- NCLB.

The Price Of A Democratic Majority: Making "Mush" Out Of NCLB

Not everyone's holding their tongues and waiting to see what the Miller reauthorization bill looks like. This commentary from Scripps News Service is an example: Diluting the No Child law. "As attractive as these indicators might sound, they would dilute the purpose of the law to where ultimately the standards become the usual educational mush."

Perhaps there's some way to thread the needle and come up with a bill that avoids creating mush and gives Congressional Democrats enough of the fig leaf they think they need to get re-elected. After all, many would argue that the growth model idea, which could have created just such a confusing morass, has seemed to have been just such a success. And others would observe that, with all its confidence intervals and subgroup minima and safe harbors and all the rest (attendance and graduation indicators), the current NCLB isn't as clear and simple as it seems on the outside.

But I'm not particularly hopeful, and remain somewhat dismayed and -- perhaps I'm alone -- surprised at this turn of events. After five years of defending NCLB, ducking and weaving all the way, Miller seems to be telling us that multiple measures are to be the price of a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"Big" Stories Of The Day

Acceleration Under Review Ed Week
As more high school students enroll in programs that award college credit, policymakers are asking questions about quality.

UC's online-only charter high school closes after 1 year San Diego Union-Tribune
Heather Brooks, 17, an incoming senior at Mar Vista High School, and Erik Chavez, 17, who just graduated, practiced handling cargo on the Navy tanker Henry J. Kaiser as part of the students' paid summer internship.

Wis. teen told police he 'freaked out' AP
A boy on trial in the shooting death of his principal told investigators that he "just freaked out" and pulled the trigger three times, but that he didn't mean to kill the man.

A school musical in their own words USA Today
Grovelin' for grades each day...Buildin' our GPA...Tryin' to stuff more stuff in our resumé.

Is Miller Breaking Up With Pro-NCLB Groups?

Perhaps the most compelling interpretation I've heard of the Miller speech from yesterday is that Miller was emphasizing that (a) the reauthorization process is still moving along despite recent delays, and (b) multiple measures are going to be part of his bill no matter what.

If multiple measures are definitely in, then this represents the first big break by Miller from the groups that helped craft and defend NCLB 1.0 and the EdSec -- and a big win symbolically at least for NCLB 1.0 critics like the NEA who have been clamoring for years now that annual standardized tests were a bad way to go and, more recently, working hard on freshman lawmakers that previous compromises (like the growth model or the idea of treating schools that just miss AYP one year differently from those that miss it all the time, every year) aren't enough.

More Folks Like NCLB Than Like Their Local Schools, Says New Poll

It's easy to forget that parents and the public don't necessarily think the same things about NCLB that you do -- and that their feelings about NCLB may actually be better than their feelings about their local schools or schools nationwide.

JoanneJacobs has more evidence of this, citing a new poll showing that 57 percent of the public back reauthorizing No Child Left Behind "as is or with minimal changes." A lot higher than you thought, I bet. But don't worry, the number goes down to 41 percent for current and former teachers, says Jacobs.

That's roughly the same percentage that give their own public schools an A or B -- a figure that drops to 22 percent for public education nationally. So the public likes NCLB more than their local schools, even, and educators like NCLB about the same as their local schools.

NB: The poll was put out by the generally conservative but pro-NCLB Hoover Institute and will be in Education Next magazine sometime soon. Changes in the wording of these poll questions can often affect their outcome -- an analysis I'll leave to others.

Parents, Pedophiles, & Places For Their Kids

Parents' Ire Grows at Unabashed Pedophile's Blog NYT
Jack McClellan, who calls himself a pedophile, has had Web sites in Seattle and Los Angeles detailing how and where he trolls for children.

Parents still seek the elusive 'right' school LA Times
No one knows exactly how many students are still without a school, but indicators show that the annual last-ditch scramble for a seat at a school of choice is in high gear.

Inane "I Like Turtles" Video Goes National

If you ever think that something I'm putting up on this site is inane, remember that this clip of a 10 year old boy at a carnival saying "I like turtles" comes from the Washington Post -- apparently the clip has become something of an Internet sensation.

Go here: For the 'I Like Turtles' Boy, 17 Seconds Of Fame

Big Stories Of The Day

I'm using the term loosely here.

Pupils too passive, education chief says Denver Post
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on Monday confronted a challenge on many Americans' minds: how relatively comfortable U.S. students can compete against the family-driven zeal children bring to school in countries such as China and India.

Clouds Gather Over D.C. Schools Washington Post
One month before school starts, District officials said yesterday that half of D.C. public schools do not have all their required textbooks and half of the school buildings will not have any air conditioning on the first day of school -- conditions as traditional in the city as back-to-school...

Liked raw carrots, hated green beans Seattle Times
The menu at William V. Wright Elementary School is getting a makeover after Constantine Christopulos' class went on a poignantly polite letter-writing campaign aiming to see less of that particular vegetable in the cafeteria.

Test scores? Check. Application? Check. And now, the slideshow AP
The University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business will begin requiring prospective students to submit PowerPoint-like slides with their applications this fall.

Wait Until September, Says Miller

There's wall-to-wall coverage of the Miller speech on Monday morning, which tells you just how little is going on. Sherman Dorn goes point by point here. EdWeek's Mark Walsh has it here. (wait until September). Sara Mead sees room on multiple measures here. The prepared text is here. And the NYT coverage focusing on reactions to the speech is here.

UPDATE: What I'm not clear on is why Miller felt like he needed to make this speech, which doesn't appear to have been particularly reassuring to either side of the strengthen/weaken NCLB debate, or what he hoped to gain. We already knew that things were going slowly, and that multiple measures (anything other than math and reading tests) was an issue. But it's not like Miller has been giving regular updates in the past. Hmmm. I'll ask around and see what I can find out.

Report Praises Chicago Transfer Policy, Slams Evaluation

Hoping to influence the legislature or the contract negotiations or both, there's a new Joyce-funded report from The New Teacher Project out today on teacher ratings, hiring, and all the rest.

The big news? Chicago's longstanding elimination of "bumping" is a notable exception to how other cities handle transfers, and just 12 percent of applicants are hired (up from 18 percent four years ago) -- but its evaluation system is a mess. See Tribune story here.

The report also calls for an evaluation and pay system that's independent of the labor contract, which I don't exactly know would fly.

Cross-posted from District299.com.

Scribbled Notes On A Cocktail Napkin: DFER Happy Hour

Things I learned at the Democrats For Education Reform happy hour on Friday in Manhattan: Green Dot founder Steve Barr is thinking about an "affiliate" model along the lines of KIPP et al in order to continue its expansion to New York and other places (Chicago?). There's yet another Green Dot profile coming out next week -- this one from Forbes. Joe Williams is a gracious host. Why the picture of Lindsay Lohan, the tabloid media's current obsession? Because right now Green Dot founder Steve Barr is education's LiLo-- minus the stints in rehab and ankle bracelet (so far). Or, I may still be drunk from the weekend. Either way, imagine if Barr could get a photo op with Lohan, or -- even better -- an endorsement?

UPDATE: Here's the Forbes article.

AACTE Coming From Behind

Stuck in third place early last week, AACTE's Jade Floyd is currently in first place with over 2500 votes over at FishBowlDC -- thanks to your efforts, and, I'm guessing, lots and lots of popularity-obsessed ed school profs and administrators weighing in on her behalf. You know how those guys love rankings.

Big Stories Of The Day

Such as they are...

Stemming the Summer Slide Washington Post
Summer can be the enemy of the schoolteacher: Students forget their math. They stop reading. And in the case of those with limited English skills, they lose their newly acquired words.

Simple Safety Solution: Classroom Locks MSNBC
Safety experts say that while school officials across the nation re-evaluate campus safety in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, many are overlooking a simple solution: putting locks on the inside of classroom doors. PLUS: Witnesses: Teen Said Principal Would Die Washington Post

‘Play It Smart’ High School Program Is Putting Some Players on Track NYT
Rutgers running back Ray Rice is one player who has benefited from Play It Smart, a nonprofit program to help football players in inner-city schools with their studies.

(You Are) Live-Blogging The Big Miller Speech Today

Chairman George Miller is scheduled to give a "major" speech on NCLB reauthorization at 10 today at the National Press Club -- should be lots of tidbits and hints at what happens next. Antsy and bored? Make good use of that Blackberry and email me your impressions and observations about the speech, who's there, and -- most important -- what they're wearing. Yes, you can do it anonymously. To: thisweekineducation @ gmail dot com.
UPDATE: EdWeek confirms the delay until September and rehashes some of the conflicts that may be causing it (ie, multiple measures).
UPDATE: McKeon statement (below) emphasizes "content" over "calendar."

Best Of The Week (July 23-29)

Posts Of The Week
How Steve Barr Is Not Like The Other Charter Show Ponies
Teaching Parents To Play With Their Kids: What If We're Wrong?

USDE
EdSec Wants More "Pocket Protector" Skills
The Two Margaret Spellings

On The Hill
How Congressional Earmarks Work
Senate Higher Ed Bill Endangers Quick NCLB Reauthorization
Our Hottie Is So Much Hotter Than Their Hotties

NCLB News
EXCLUSIVE: Miller Reauthorization Memo To Freshmen
Turning Up The Heat On "Multiple Measures"
Who's For, Against Letting Students Transfer To Better Schools

Campaign 2008
Obama Advocates Sex Ed For Kindergarteners, Does He?
What Anderson Cooper Should Have Asked The Candidates
Video NCLB Excerpts From Last Night's Debate

Urban Education
Weighted Student Funding (Among Other Things) Collapses In NYC
Taking Back Mayoral Control: It Ain't Going To Happen
Public Prep: A Public School With A Private Feel

Media Watch
Post Education Writer Doesn't Last Long
Comparing Coverage Of The "Curriculum Narrowing" Report
Former Washington Post Reporter Looks Into Testing Effects
Little Action, Lots Of Blogging

Business Of Education
Reader Rabbit Takes Over Publishing

School Life
StateTris: earn Where The States Are, Waste Time
Let's Simpsonize The Education World

Site News
What Your Free Daily Email Would Look Like -- If You Signed Up For One