Yong
Zhao on PISA
Educational Readings By Allan Alach
One common element of ‘deform’ across the world, is the use of PISA
tests to justify the implementation of GERM.
As Phil Cullen observes in his latest Treehorn Express these tests are an offshoot of the OECD, an
organisation of economists. Since when did economists have valid educational
credentials? This begs the question- why do we take any notice of PISA? Anyone
able to explain this to me?
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it
to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.
This week’s homework!
Charter Schools and
Corporate Ed Reform
As other countries rush down the charter school road, evidence to
the contrary keeps coming out of USA. Naturally our GERM minded politicians
take no notice - powerful string pullers behind the scenes? Thanks to Barbara
Nelson for this link.
“The following is an excerpt from Charter Schools and the Corporate Makeover of Public
Education: What’s at Stake? co-authored by Michelle Fine and Michael
Fabricant. The book traces the evolution of the charter school movement from
its origins in community- and educator-based efforts to promote progressive
change to their role today as instruments of privatization and radical
disinvestment in public education.”
New school year: doubling
down on failed ed policy
Or ‘how we need to learn from our mistakes”
“This was written by Lisa
Guisbond, a policy analyst for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing,
known as FairTest, a Boston-based organization that aims to improve standardized
testing practices and evaluations of students, teachers and schools.”
10
Ways School Reformers Get It Wrong
“When
it comes to education reform, we're not trying to reinvent the wheel anymore; instead,
we're building square ones.” Nothing else needs to
be added. Thanks to Phil Cullen for this link.
Secret Teacher has had it with WALTS, WILFS and other
education jargon.
The Guardian newspaper,
UK, runs a regular feature where a different secret teacher each time writes
about issues of concern. This one is written by an Academy School (aka charter
school) teacher, and provides a warning of what is to come.
Yong Zhao on PISA
For the last 18 months or so, I’ve been
raising questions about this PISA test programme that is being used by
‘deformers’ all over to justify their educational agenda. Why is a test
developed by an economic organisation being used in this way? Why do we give it
any credit at all? Think about it - the
PISA tests to determine any country’s educational achievement have exactly the
same drawbacks as using tests to determine a child’s achievement. This blog by
Diane Ravitch, referencing comments by Yong Zhao, covers this more
authoritatively. Getting rid of PISA would be a major step forward.
Technocratic Expansion of
Education Data Systems Stirs Privacy Concerns
This is an extremely important article by
Anthony Cody. The online student
database system he describes here is also being developed in New Zealand, ready
for implementation in 2014. Are similar systems being developed in Australia,
UK and elsewhere? This is big brother, people. No exaggeration. The only thing Orwell got wrong was that he
anticipated a far left state, not a right wing corporate based state with
fascist overtones. Just to back this up, there’s also another link from a
homeschooling website.
Eight
problems with Common Core Standards
Another great article by Marion Brady. New
Zealand readers might ‘enjoy’ reading this, substituting ‘national’ for ‘common
core.’ Aren’t coincidences wonderful?
Thank
God for standardized test scores
With the coming publication of ‘achievement
data’ for New Zealand schools, as the government rushes in a ‘me too’ fashion’
to join the bandwagon, this satirical article by Joe Bower is timely.
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