A pair of excellent articles in Education Week by Lynn Olson point to the UK for lessons on the pitfalls of standards-based reform on the one hand, and value-added analysis on the other. In Britain, an NCLB-like regime of testing and accountability measures has been in place for more than a decade, and many of the problems and arguments in that country over education reform will seem familiar. Does testing narrow curricula? Does it stress kids and teachers out? Do achievement comparisons between schools serve to spur excellence? Britain's results to date are mixed - which any reasonable person might expect from an ambitious and speedy overhaul of a struggling, decentralized system. Olson also examines the use of value-added data to track the growth of students. While there are significant quibbles with the way added "value" is measured, she makes clear that the wealth of information and data that a value-added system provides schools and teachers can help to drive innovative and unprecedented improvements in teaching. Let's hope American educators are reading.
"England refines accountability reforms," by Lynn Olson, Education Week, May 5, 2004
"Value lessons," by Lynn Olson, Education Week, May 5, 2004