Texas State Board of Education members have been beating their chests about an Education Week study that gives the state an “A” in curriculum development. At last month’s state board meeting, for example, they used the study to trash critics who have (correctly) warned about the damage the board’s far-right faction has done the last two years to language arts and science curriculum standards and, this year, to social studies standards. The state’s education commissioner even joined board members in crowing.
Well, the commissioner and board members either didn’t understand what the study really said or they deliberately distorted its findings. As Tony Whitson explains on his always-informative curricublog, the study didn’t look at the substance of the standards themselves. The study simply gave the state high marks for having course- and grade-specific standards as well as supplementary resources for teachers and particular student populations. The actual quality of the standards? You won’t find that analyzed in the study.
Of course, that fact won’t stop the board’s far-right members from dishonestly defending their efforts to politicize our kids’ classrooms and promote fringe agendas in public school curriculum standards. They just don’t let the truth get in their way.
UPDATE: A study last year gave science curriculum standards in Texas an “F” for their treatment of evolution — a concept that forms the foundation for the study of the biological sciences. Read more about the study here.
That is so cool!!!! Wow!!!! It’s like giving a nation kudos for having actual written laws on the books in its legal code. Who cares if those laws require the execution of all brain-damaged children before they reach age 5? What will they think of next over at the State Board of Education? How about—dare I say it—EDUCATION?
The Education Week study must be like winning the J.D. Power Award for Initial Quality, whatever the Hades that is? Windshield? Yeah, it’s got a windshield!!! Great!!! You got initial quality!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll retire to Bedlam.
As a former SBOE member (1996-2006) I can recall when part of the SBOE budget paid for members’ subscriptions to Education Week…to keep us all up-to-date re educational developments nationally. The Republicans Social Conservatives moved to stop subscribing to “save money” but in reality it was to stop all that “progressive drivel” in Education Week. It is quite cynical they would be quoting from it now. My “studied” observation is not that the findings were distorted, but that whoever read it to them actually misconstrued the findings.
Joe said, “…but that whoever read it to them actually misconstrued the findings.”
Joe. You are one subtle and dangerous man. I can’t stop laughing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!