The New York Times published a story today about PARCC’s efforts to remove all blogs and tweets that referred to items from their test. Leonie Haimson says the story is incomplete, and she fills in the gaps in her account.
A friend in the education field told me that he was puzzled by PARCC’s actions. He said, “Why don’t they just release those three contested items?”
Maybe they are afraid of setting a precedent.
It is astounding that a test that has such weighty consequences (yes, Mike Petrilli, the tests are still used in many states for teacher evaluations and school closings) should be immune from review and discussion. How many hidden Pineapples are there behind the veil of secrecy?
Oh, well, PARCC has seen a dramatic decline in usage. The number of states has dropped from 24 to 7. If the trend continues, bye-bye PARCC.
By the way, I never got an explanation or even notice of the deletion of one of my posts I the middle of the night on May 13. Not so much as a “by your leave.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
LikeLike
Michael J. Petrilli’s comments demonstrate a shocking ignorance about the entire opt out movement. He is so tied into the reform movement that he unwittingly reveals how much reformers are about proving “bad teaching” in public schools by his comment.
Mr. Petrilli can’t imagine any reason to oppose the tests except for fear of teachers looking bad. He can’t imagine that a parent would actually look at the test — and what the schools are forced to teach because of them — and understand why a parent would not embrace that for their own child.
Never mind that the people who pay Mr. Petrilli’s big salary very likely send their children to schools that opt out (private schools) because they don’t admire the PARCC test as much as Mr. Petrilli does. I don’t hear Mr. Petrilli criticizing private schools who think the test is bunk and don’t opt in. But we are supposed to just accept his word — dishonest as he has been — that the tests are brilliant and tell us the measure of our child’s academic ability far better than we can judge for ourselves.
And then Mr. Petrilli is mystified that parents want to SEE the test that is telling them their child is “below standards” that private school kids get to avoid being judged by?
I just wish Mr. Petrilli would start a movement to bash private schools for not opting in to these oh so wonderful exams that he praises. Put your money where you mouth is Mr. Petrilli. If the tests were as good as you say, Mr. Gates’ kids and kids at every private school would be taking them and not opting out from tests that a few private schools do opt in to (and have mediocre results, by the way).
LikeLike
“And then Mr. Petrilli is mystified that parents want to SEE the test that is telling them their child is ‘below standards’ that private school kids get to avoid being judged by?”
Howzabout the rheephormsters opt out of the their “Code of Silence”?
Oh right, where’s the $tudent $ucce$$ in that?
😏
LikeLike
My blog was taken down by Blogger on Friday. Still no formal notice from them either. Probably time to rename and repost.
LikeLike
Great job of keeping this in the news. PARCC and SBAC post their scores on the greatschools.org website created as a front for extensive marketing of products, with school ratings made available (for a fee) to Zillow, Scholastic, and Target, and other companies.
The upflow of the PARCC scores to that website began in December 2015. SBAC started doing that a few months earlier. Now a legitimate question is whether PARCC and SBAC paid, or received payment for that secondary use of test scores. Getting access to any contracts or memoranda of understanding may be informative and possibily relevant to some legal challenges.
Both operations also appear to be marketing to parents–pushing grade level test prep and other boster shots to shore up the Common Core. Here is the source MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 ( from http://www.parcconline.org/news-and-video/382-greatschools-parcc-launch-new-parent-tool)
“PARCC states have partnered with GreatSchools to launch the GreatKids Test Guide for Parents, a new resource to assist parents in helping their children prepare academically for college and careers, and for the next grade level. “…”The Guide gives … information about what a child needs to know at each grade level and how parents can help their children succeed academically, based on how their child performed on the PARCC assessment.”
“About GreatSchools. Founded in 1998, GreatSchools is a national nonpartisan nonprofit helping millions of parents find quality schools, support great learning and guide their kids to great futures. GreatSchools offers thousands of articles, videos and worksheets to help parents support their children’s learning. Last year, more than 59 million unique visitors accessed the GreatSchools website including more than half of all U.S. families with school-age children. Headquartered in Oakland, California, GreatSchools partners with cities and states across the country.“
The “partners” include commercial companies that pay a fee to obtain the test scores and the convoluted ratings of schools. GreatSchools has devised a ten-point rating scale for conversions of test scores into school ratings– a dubious methodology that leaves few schools looking good but Eva”s Success Academy franchise schools test-driven with the rating of 10, highest in this system.
LikeLike
“Mike Cohen…former co-chair of the Aspen Program (Education and Society) …now President of Achieve”, where he oversaw development of PARCC.
Gates funds Aspen’s “Senior Congressional Education Staff Network” and, the Pahara Aspen Institute.
I’d like the NYT to publish a list of the Aspen Network’s Congressional staffers and, Pahara Aspen Institute Fellows. The public has a right to know the names on both lists.
LikeLike
From what I have seen on the Great Schools website, their numeric value increases with the socio-economic value of the real estate. I am sure there is more to it than than, but there is a strong correlation with the real estate values of properties.
LikeLike
“Mike Cohen…former co-chair of the Aspen Program (Education and Society) …now President of Achieve”, where he oversaw development of PARCC.
Gates funds Aspen’s “Senior Congressional Education Staff Network” and, the Pahara Aspen Institute.
I’d like the NYT to publish a list of the Aspen Network’s Congressional staffers and, Pahara Aspen Institute Fellows. The public has a right to know the names on both lists.
LikeLike