A columnist for South Carolina's The Common Voice is happy that SC state standardized tests are ranked as challenging, but frustrated that these results are being trumpeted by opponents of school choice:
In the current edition of Education Next, the Hoover Institute lauds states that embrace rigorous academic standards. South Carolina got “straight A’s” for linking its PACT grading scale to a test known as the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)...The report was co-written by Paul E. Peterson, a Harvard government professor, who praised South Carolina for high standards in testing. He surmised that testing reports can be misleading. “If you have high standards, you are going to have more failing schools. I think South Carolina has high standards"...Peterson, a school choice advocate, urged readers not to misuse his conclusions in the school choice debate. He specifically stated that he doesn’t want his “article to be read as saying there is no need in South Carolina to have a tuition tax credit.” Enter Mrs. Tenenbaum, South Carolina’s Education Superintendent, who quickly embraced Mr. Peterson’s praise and ignored his plea. She said, “Straight A’s for our rigor demonstrates that South Carolina has risen to the challenge and set demanding proficiency standards.” Then she said the article undermines advocates of a tuition tax credit law that failed to pass the Legislature this year.
I agree with columnist Ralph Bristol that the bad attitude here is, "We are doing better than you thought, so there’s no need for pressure to improve."
Posted by kswygert at May 17, 2005 12:44 PM