The Observer?s article yesterday concerning the fiasco of the North Carolina testing program is OLD news. I along with others have been talking about these issues for YEARS.  John Hood?s excellent column summarizes history associated with the state?s weak accountability program.
The distressing thought is what some see as the ?solution” – a Federal Test!
Today, the Observer?s opinion page published Diane Ravitch?s speech calling for federal standards. The next step will be a federal test. This is disheartening since I usually agree with Ravitch, and appreciate her writings.
However, on this issue we agree to disagree.  Federal standards, will lead to a federal assessment and this is a move backwards not forwards!
So how can we verify the rigor of  testing, and keep it away from political bodies? States should be able to select from a variety of testing options (Stanford Achievement tests, IOWA, California Achievement tests i.e.), then publish results.
Testing companies compete for state contracts, and therefore free-market principles keep quality high and cost low. Parents receive an accurate report of how their children score in light of the nation, and best of all – government is not a ?testing company.?
If we allow the U.S. Department of Education to become a ?testing company,? we will be worse off.  The ?testing company? residing in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is an example of what happens when government monitors itself.