Leave Behind No Child Left Behind?

“New York City has embarked on an ambitious experiment, yet to be announced, in which some 2,500 teachers are being measured on how much their students improve on annual standardized tests. “

A bold endeavor if I’ve ever heard one. According to the New York Times New York City is going to try and measure their teachers’ performance in the classroom in an objective manner. I have heard the expression that perhaps it is not the students failing to learn but the teachers failing to teach and aparently New York City really believes in that expression.

I understand what the schools involved are attempting to do by creating such measurements. It is very difficult for schools to evaluate teachers in a non-objective manner and this is how NYC is attempting to do just that. Unforetunately, there are issue that will arise with this experiment just as they have in trying to grade a school’s success based on their students’ scores. For instance, if a teacher recieves a class that does not know addition and subtraction when they enter her class is it right to expect her to have them ready for long division and large number multiplication by the time they need to take standardized tests?

A teacher has little to no control over what students are placed in their classroom and what those students do before and after school. There will always be fluctuations in standardized test scores from one year to the next because of the differences in the students each year. Some classes will grasp ideas quickly and move through lessons well, while other classes may have difficulties staying still for five seconds and forget even trying to have them take a test where they must sit still and be quiet.

I pity those teachers that are being put under the microscope by this experiment and hope that New York City will not frighten and chase all of their decent teachers out of the city with the results that may be inconclusive and harmful to good teachers’ reputations.

Full Article

“New York Measures Teachers by Test Scores” by Jennifer Medina

Published in the New York Times

Jan. 21, 2008