Mind The Gap! New Approaches On HS Accountability

Bellwether’s Chad Aldeman has a new paper looking at new ways to think about and implement high school accountability (pdf). Important resource for state policymakers.

3 Replies to “Mind The Gap! New Approaches On HS Accountability”

  1. This is an interesting article. I have some concerns about the data. First, high school growth is difficult to discern. I almost didn’t read past the first point made stating that elementary and middle school student growth on the NAEP was much greater than high school student growth. Keep in mind that growth and achievement of the bar (credits) set for high school students are two different things. One implies that lessons have been received, the other implies some kind of academic growth. — maybe we should rethink what we want high schools to do (outcomes). I could enter high school reading at a 9th grade level and leave high school reading at a 9th grade level. At the same time, I may have earned an advanced diploma based on credits received, not growth, enter college and then drop out because I was not prepared. Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that we consider the credits earned as the measure of success, not the mastery of content and growth that will support learning at the next level. So should we reconsider why we assess students and how that assessment demonstrates readiness at the next level – or not? Maybe assessments have some validity in the readiness for college equation?

  2. Who cares…

    With China working to close the South China Sea and flying over the ROP…

    With India and Pakistan working pell mell on nuclear armaments and super quiet diesel submarines for littoral waters near the Malaccan straights….

    With this nation’s record dearmament in nuclear weapons and defense…

    With new technology that can detect our super-quiet subs….

    With Iran on the verge of a nuclear weapon….

    With ISIS destabilizing the entire middle east…

    With Russia now stepping across multiple lines in the sand and working to acquire its former republic…

    And with RECORD SPENDING ON EDUCATION…….

    And with a RUSHED REWRITE of ESEA and a cloture vote set for Wednesday….

    The writing is on the wall.

    Education reform is DEAD.

    What are all of you liberal arts edu-refomrers gonna do?

    Start a geopolitical think tank? God help us.

    Can you guys really join the big boys club?

  3. Hey bill,
    Thought you might enjoy this:

    Cami Anderson has worked her last day as Newark’s state-appointed superintendent of schools, but she will not be leaving the city empty-handed.
    State Department of Education officials confirmed that as of Thursday, Anderson had been placed on paid administrative leave for the next 90 days, over which she will collect approximately $64,000 owed to her as part of her $255,016 annual salary.
    The arrangement also allows her to collect another three months salary in severance pay, bringing the total payment up to more than $127,000.
    Under the terms of her contract, the severance pay is owed to her if Commissioner of Education David Hespe terminates her employment between July 1 and June 30, 2016, provided Anderson was given at least 90 days notice.
    The state may also still award Anderson, who was appointed to the superintendent job in 2011, with a bonus of up to 20 percent of her salary, or around $51,000, based on her work in the 2014-15 school year.
    The payment is based on whether or not she reached a number of goals laid out by the state. Earlier this year, officials revealed she was awarded a bonus of about 15 percent for reaching 5 of the 7 criteria for the 2013-14 year.

    As a reminder, when Rick Hess hosted Cami at AEI earlier this year, he shut down her presentation because parents from Newark were in the audience.

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