The new education law (ESSA) could mean much much more testing

Posted as a comment on The Answer Sheet, Washington Post, April 28.  Related to discussion of “New U.S. rules for standardized testing have been drafted. Here’s what they mean for kids.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/28/new-u-s-rules-for-standardized-testing-have-been-drafted-heres-what-they-mean-for-kids/

The "computerized curriculum-instruction-testing packages" mentioned by Monty Neill as a “multiple tests” option is known as competency-based education, and as Neill notes, it combines instruction and testing. The ESSA contains an interesting section encourages the development of competence-based education as a testing program (sections 1201 and 1204).

Competency-based education (CBE) is a radical and expensive innovation that replaces regular instruction with online "modules" that students work through on their own. Students take tests in order to move to the next module. It is being pushed by computer companies without consulting educators and without a proper research base. 

A recent report from the National Governor's Association, a report enthusiastic about CBE, includes this statement: "Although an emerging research base suggests that CBE is a promising model, it includes only a few rigorous evaluations and analyses of current and ongoing CBE pilots and similar programs."

The born-again pronouncements against over-testing which started with President Obama's speech a few months ago might be a means of introducing competency-based, which could mean testing every day. Pearson, in fact, suggests that CBE should take the place of end-of-the-year testing.

Want to read more about it?  Start here:
Steven M. Singer, Standardized Tests Every Day: the Competency Based Education Scam. http://tinyurl.com/j8s2tuh
Emily Talmage,  Warning: Gates is Infiltrating Opt Out. http://emilytalmage.com/2016/01/05/warning-gates-is-infiltrating-opt-out/
Morna McDermott, Reading between the lines. http://educationalchemy.com/2015/10/25/reading-between-the-lines-obamas-testing-action-plan/)
Peggy Robertson, Opt-out revolution, the next wave.  
http://www.pegwithpen.com/2015/10/opt-out-revolution-next-wave.html

Monty Neill statement about "Multiple tests": Following ESSA, the negotiated regulations allow states to administer multiple “interim” tests throughout the year, adding up their results to reach a final score, instead of relying on just one big test at the end. Whether that will lead to better assessments (e.g., portfolios of student work over the year) or be used to facilitate computerized curriculum-instruction-testing packages remains to be fought out state by state."

What teenagers read in 1916. Adults were worried even then.

Scofield (1916) described books selected by high school students enrolled in an elective class called "outside reading." Students were required to read four to seven books, depending on the books selected, keep a notebook and make an oral report at the end of the semester.  A book list of 300 books was made available and students were allowed to read books not on the list, "but few did so." (p.548).  Students were not allowed to select books required for a course.

Scofield presented a list of the most frequently selected books.  Scofield's description is very revealing: "An examination of these titles shows that the students have selected far better literature than we might expect from some of the assertions we hear about the habits of high-school pupils" (p. 545).

Even one hundred years ago, people were concerned that young people were not reading "good" books.   Scolding teenagers is nothing new (Krashen, 2011).

Among the top ten: Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, The Call of the Wild, The Last of the Mohicans, Kidnapped.

Krashen, S. 2011. Why We Should Stop Scolding Teenagers and Their Schools: Frequency of Leisure Reading
. Language Magazine 11 (4): 18-21, 2011. http://sdkrashen.com/articles.php?cat=2 (scroll down).

Scofield, F. A. 1916.  Outside reading in the Eugene High School. English Journal 5: 544-548.  Available at:  http://www.jstor.org/stable/800986?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

"National College Signing Day": What about other career paths that don't require college?

On “National College Signing Day”
Posted at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/watch-live-first-lady-michelle-obama-hosts-national-college-signing-day-2016/

Making college available to everyone is a wonderful idea. But let’s not ignore career paths that do not require college, and are just as or even more demanding. 
    Former US Secretary of Heath, Education and Welfare John Gardner warned us of the consequences of a policy that values “academic” careers over other careers:
   "The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."

Encouraging reading in Singapore

Submitted to the Straits Times.

Singapore wants to encourage reading ("Making every day a reading day," April 20). Good idea.  According to an analysis done by Prof. Elizabeth Ka Yee Loh and me, Singapore is one of several countries that falls into what we call the "test prep" group: high reading test scores, low levels of poverty overall, but neither children nor parents report that they like to read. Our conjecture was that the high test scores were the result of lots of reading of school texts, plus extensive test-preparation, or "gaming the test."
Some of the proposals made by the National Reading Movement (in "Parliament: First National Reading Day to be held on July 30 to help nurture love of books," April 11) for encouraging reading have no basis at all in the research, and are, in fact, contradictory to what is known about encouraging reading:  These include proclaiming a national reading day, setting up book clubs, and getting people to make a pledge that they will read more.  The latter will only result in  is making people feel guilty that they were not able to live up to their promises.
Other proposals are well-supported by research, proposals to ensure that potential readers have access to interesting reading material e.g. setting up reading corners in community-owned centers and making sure new communities have a library.  Access in the form of libraries is especially crucial in high poverty areas, where the only sources of books is often the library. Access is the obvious prerequisite to reading.

The National Reading Movement also plans to make electronic material available to commuters.  Unfortunately, this will consist of "recommended" reading pre-selected for those riding on trains.  Unless a huge amount of options are made available, this plan runs counter to research showing that self-selection is crucial to voluntary reading. (One study showing this, by Sy-ying Lee in 2007, appeared in a journal published in Singapore.)

Given access to truly interesting and comprehensible reading material, most people will read.  Reading can become a "positive addiction," so pleasurable that we don't have to urge people to read or make them promise that they will read.

Finally, we have to take a harder look at school, and make sure that younger children are read to from interesting storybooks, that school libraries are well-stocked with interesting reading material staffed by credentialed librarians, and that time is set aside for free reading in school, all demonstrated to be strong predictors, not only of reading achievement but also interest in reading.

Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California


Sources:

Test-prep countries: Loh, E.K.Y. and Krashen, S. 2015. Patterns in PIRLS performance: The importance of liking to read, SES, and the effect of test prep. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning 3(1).
Self-selection: Lee, S. Y. 2007. Revelations from Three Consecutive Studies on Extensive Reading. Regional Language Center (RELC) Journal , 38 (2), 150-170.
Access and libraries: Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Second edition. Portsmouth: Heinemann and Westport: Libraries Unlimited
Positive addiction: Nell, V. (1988). Lost in a book. New Haven. Yale
University Press.
Read-alouds, school libraries, free reading time: Krashen 2004, op. cit.
Original article: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/parliament-first-national-reading-day-to-be-held-on-july-30-to-help-nurture-love-of

The real story in the Chicago Tribune: the destruction of public education

Submitted to the Straits Times.

Singapore wants to encourage reading ("Making every day a reading day," April 20). Good idea.  According to an analysis done by Prof. Elizabeth Ka Yee Loh and I, Singapore is one of several countries that falls into what we call the "test prep" group: high reading test scores, low levels of poverty overall, but neither children nor parents report that they like to read. Our conjecture was that the high test scores were the result of lots of reading of school texts, plus extensive test-preparation, or "gaming the teset."
Some of the proposals made by the National Reading Movement (in "Parliament: First National Reading Day to be held on July 30 to help nurture love of books," April 11) for encouraging reading have no basis at all in the research, and are, in fact, contradictory to what is known about encouraging reading:  These include proclaming a national reading day, setting up book clubs, and getting people to make a pledge that they will read more.  The latter will only result in  is making people feel guilty that they were not able to live up to their promises.
Other proposals are well-supported by research, proposals to ensure that potential readers have access to interesting reading material e.g. setting up reading corners in community-owned centers and making sure new communities have a library.  Access in the form of libraries is especially crucial in high poverty areas, where the only sources of books is often the library. Access is the obvious prerequisite to reading.
The National Reading Movement also plans to make electronic material available to commuters.  Unfortunately, this will consist of "recommended" reading preselected for those riding on trains.  Unless a huge amount of options are made available, this plan runs counter to research showing that self-selection is crucial to voluntary reading. (One study showing this, by Syying Lee in 2007, appeared in a journal published in Singapore.)
Given access to truly interesting and comprehensible reading material, most people will read.  Reading can become a "positive addiction," so pleasurable that we don't have to urge people to read or make them promise that they will read. 
Finally, we have to take a harder look at school, and make sure that younger children are read to from interesting storybooks, that school libraries are well-stocked with interesting reading material staffed by crediential librarians, and that time is set aside for free reading in school, all demonstrated to be strong predictors, not only of reading achievement but also interest in reading.

Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California


Sources:

Test-prep countries: Loh, E.K.Y. and Krashen, S. 2015. Patterns in PIRLS performance: The importance of liking to read, SES, and the effect of test prep. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning 3(1).
Self-selection: Lee, S. Y. 2007. Revelations from Three Consecutive Studies on Extensive Reading. Regional Language Center (RELC) Journal , 38 (2), 150-170.
Access and libraries: Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Second edition. Portsmouth: Heinemann and Westport: Libraries Unlimited
Positive addiction: Nell, V. (1988). Lost in a book. New Haven. Yale
University Press.
Read-alouds, school libraries, free reading time: Krashen 2004, op. cit.
Original article: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/parliament-first-national-reading-day-to-be-held-on-july-30-to-help-nurture-love-of

Personalized? What does it mean?

"Personalized" means two totally different things.

(1)          Helping students find their own path: Discover your own talents, develop them, and use them for the benefit of all. As Picasso expressed it: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”  This is a profoundly pleasant path and results in great accomplishments.

(2)          Competency-based education (CBE): a radical and expensive innovation that replaces regular instruction with online "modules." Students take tests in order to move to the next module. It is being pushed by computer companies without consulting educators and without a proper research base.  

It is called "personalized" because (a) students can work through the modules at their own speed and take end-of-module tests only when they feel ready. Given the fact, however, that speed in working through modules is the criterion for determining student, teacher and school success, the pressure on students to work quickly will be strong. (b) it is claimed that CBE provides and gives credit for alternate ways of solving problems. The alternatives in problem-solving offered are constrained, however, by what designers of the module consider in advance to be acceptable methods. CBE appears to be the opposite of "personalized." 

Comment on NPR interview with Lily Eskelsen Garcia: Testing every day?

Comment on “A Union Firebrand Speaks Out On Politics, Testing And More”  NPR interview with Lily Eskelsen Garcia

Posted at http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/04/20/474369584/a-union-firebrand-speaks-out-on-politics-testing-and-more

The new education law does indeed appear an attempt to calm down our national testing hysteria.  Even President Obama has spoken out about the negative impact of over-testing.  Some of this is of course due to the impact of the opt-out movement.

But the testing industry is striking back, with the full cooperation of the US government: The new plan is to replace end-of-year standardized tests with what could be daily testing. The core of education will consist of modules of programmed instruction that students will work through online and be tested on, which will drastically diminish the role of teachers and increase profits of technology companies. The new education law announced grants for the development of these teach-and-test machines (see sections 1201 and 1204).

The National Governor’s Association has admitted that there is little evidence supporting this major shift to what they call “competency-based education,” yet has enthusiastically supported it.

It looks like things will be much worse, not better.

For more on competency-based education, please see:
McDermott, M., Robertson. P.,and Krashen, S. 2016. Testing All The Time? Language Magazine, January 16. http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=125014;
Steven M. Singer, Standardized Tests Every Day: the Competency Based Education Scam. http://tinyurl.com/j8s2tuh
Emily Talmage,  Warning: Gates is Infiltrating Opt Out. http://emilytalmage.com/2016/01/05/warning-gates-is-infiltrating-opt-out/
Morna McDermott, Reading between the lines. http://educationalchemy.com/2015/10/25/reading-between-the-lines-obamas-testing-action-plan/)
Peggy Robertson, Opt-out revolution, the next wave.   http://www.pegwithpen.com/2015/10/opt-out-revolution-next-wave.html