Cheating for Funding
One interesting thing we talked about in class on Wednesday
was how the school administration typically cheats like tampering with tests
scores to increase public recognition of the success of the school district as well
as funding. I found an article, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/01/public-school-children-cheated-by-perverse-performance-pay-incentives.html,
which describes how an Atlanta city school had test results that had
skyrocketed in a “statistically improbable” way. Investigation proved that this school and
others in the district were cheating to make their test results better. The school district’s superintendent received
$580,000 in “performance bonuses” and was named “Superintendent of the Year.” “The indictment graphically describes how Hall put unrelenting pressure on school
principals, who in turn pressured teachers, to produce higher student test
scores, which ‘created an environment
where achieving the desired end result was more important than the students’
education’.” I think this proves a great point. I don’t think schools
are no longer emphasizing education and learning as much as they are on test
scores. This can be stressful for
everyone involved in testing: teachers, students, parents, administration. I
don’t agree that cheating is the right thing to do in order to get funding for
a school, but a lot of the requirements created are unrealistic. Unrealistic is what they want so Hall, the
superintendent in Atlanta, gave them it. What can be done to stop the cheating?
Great point bolding what you did. I think that is the problem. When test scores become more important than learning and the material they are supposed to be testing, we have a problem. what bothers me is thinking about all the school districts that haven't been caught doing this and are still doing this. Good post.
ReplyDeleteIt is so crazy to think of all the schools that cheat on these tests. I wonder who is typically involved when they change the scores- is it the superintendent? principal? or the teachers? I just feel like if my school cheated on tests, I don't want to get in trouble, as a teacher, for something I knew nothing about.
ReplyDeleteinteresting article…it is sad how the emphasis has changed from ability and achievement to test score results. some school systems are obviously taking this too far.
ReplyDelete