I was very struck by the inherent flaws in our education system presented in this chapter and the reluctance of policy makers to make any positive change... the criteria set in place by George H.W. Bush during his term have not only not been accomplished, we've gone the opposite direction!
Assessment is a crucial element in reforming the education system and the examples Darling-Hammond gave of other counties' success make progress seem almost tangible. However, in reality I believe that this aspect of education can hardly be addressed until the issue of equity in funding distribution for ALL schools across America is settled. I agree with DH that education policy making should be done at the state level, but I think that funding distribution must be dealt with at a national level because of how long it has been ignored.
Do you agree that decisions should be made at the federal level or should there be national regulations that all schools must adhere to?
My favorite part of this chapter was reading about different methods of assessment and how these methods are proven to be fair and equal. The best example was the system where the teachers had to first sit down and take the tests that students had to later take. This seems like the most fair and reasonable way to double check the tests' efficacy, yet thinking back on my own experience, I don't think many of my high school teachers would have been able to do well on these standardized exams!
Reflecting on your own experience, can you think of ways teachers can take more responsibility for what their students are learning and being tested on? What are some of the assessment methods that you found most interesting and would consider applying to your own practice?
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