Standardized Exam Cheating Confirmed in 37 States and DC

Posted on April 25, 2013 by coreeducation

FairTest, an organization that “advances quality education and equal opportunity by promoting fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial evaluations of students, teachers and schools”, has prepared a report on confirmed incidences of schools cheating on standardized tests in recent years. The report includes discussion of multiple means through which schools manipulate results of standardized tests. Read more about Standardized Exam Cheating Confirmed in 37 States and DC[…]

Should student essays be graded by computers?

Posted on April 24, 2013 by coreeducation

The issue of whether and how much computers should be responsible for student grading has been around for decades, but the recent advent of MOOCs and the upcoming implementation of Common Core tests has brought the issue to the forefront yet again. One MOOC, edX, has recently developed software, which they will make available as Read more about Should student essays be graded by computers?[…]

The Looming Clash between Common Core and Standardized Testing

Posted on March 4, 2013 by coreeducation

Recently, Joshua Starr, the Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MD), one of the wealthiest, largest, and high-achieving school districts in the United States, went public with his idea that there be a three-year moratorium on federally mandated standardized testing. He is not fundamentally opposed to all standardized testing, but he does have a problem Read more about The Looming Clash between Common Core and Standardized Testing[…]

Smarter Balanced and PARCC Updates

Posted on May 9, 2012February 5, 2013 by coreeducation

The two multistate organizations tasked with developing math and ELA assessment systems to support the Common Core, Smarter Balanced and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), have been hard at work over the past several months. To help keep interested parties updated on their activities, Smarter Balanced has launched a Read more about Smarter Balanced and PARCC Updates[…]

Professor Speaks out against School Accountability Systems

Posted on February 28, 2012April 25, 2012 by coreeducation

In a recent commentary for The Huffington Post, Harvard professor Dr. Thomas Payzant focuses attention on how accountability systems for teachers and leaders can be done better in this country. Not only are high-stakes evaluations stressful for superintendents, as illustrated by the high turnover rates around the country, but for students as well, and they Read more about Professor Speaks out against School Accountability Systems[…]

A Teacher Finds Good in Testing

Posted on September 5, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

n the August 31, 2011 issue of Education Week, former educator Ama Nyamekye reflects on the controversy surrounding high-stakes testing. In college, she was active in protesting these types of tests and thought that “good teachers should be left to their own devices.” She writes, “ I was certain that I was a good teacher. Read more about A Teacher Finds Good in Testing[…]

America’s Biggest Academic Cheating Scandal Unfolds in Atlanta

Posted on July 6, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The Christian Science Monitor reported on July 5 that at least 178 teachers and principals in Atlanta Public Schools cheated to raise student scores on standardized tests, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). So far 82 teachers and principals have confessed to changing student answers and conspiring to cover-up the scandal. Since the Read more about America’s Biggest Academic Cheating Scandal Unfolds in Atlanta[…]