EDITORIAL : OUTRAGE METER: 10 STANFORD 9 FLUNKS OUT.THE best news parents could hear today is an apology apology [Gr.,=defense], literary work that defends, justifies, or clarifies an author's ideas or point of view. Unlike the ordinary use of the word, the literary use neither implies that wrong has been done nor expresses regret. from Harcourt Educational Measurement followed by word the company is immediately returning all the money to the state for botching the Stanford 9 test. It is almost inconceivable that a nationally recognized testing firm working with state and local school officials could make Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Unified appear competent. But the magnitude of this foul-up cannot be overstated o·ver·state tr.v. o·ver·stat·ed, o·ver·stat·ing, o·ver·states To state in exaggerated terms. See Synonyms at exaggerate. o . The Stanford 9 was to be a cornerstone of objective test results intended to measure the performance of students, their teachers, schools, districts and ultimately the state Department of Education. It was to set an important benchmark so that the public could judge the effectiveness of the billions of dollars being poured into education to help students and teachers improve. Instead, we get meaningless results that call into question the Stanford 9 itself. The company has confused the public and muddled mud·dle v. mud·dled, mud·dling, mud·dles v.tr. 1. To make turbid or muddy. 2. To mix confusedly; jumble. 3. To confuse or befuddle (the mind), as with alcohol. the debate over whether students with limited English ability had made dramatic strides since passage of Proposition 227 ended the failed experiment in bilingual education bilingual education, the sanctioned use of more than one language in U.S. education. The Bilingual Education Act (1968), combined with a Supreme Court decision (1974) mandating help for students with limited English proficiency, requires instruction in the native . Now the public learns it was all a computer error. Or not. No one knows. Not even the company. From the outset, the Stanford 9 was bitterly opposed by many in the educational establishment who feared being judged by an objective appraisal of their performance. The question now is how Harcourt and the state Department of Education will restore credibility to the test. Many will never believe they could be so incompetent incompetent adj. 1) referring to a person who is not able to manage his/her affairs due to mental deficiency (lack of I.Q., deterioration, illness or psychosis) or sometimes physical disability. , preferring to see some sort of conspiracy. The public has a right to know exactly what happened and who is responsible. And the right way to do that is through public hearings before the Legislature. How in the world could nobody have recognized what a stupid error was being made? Was nobody in the state Department of Education working to protect the public interest? This is yet one more blow to the heart of a public education system that is steadily dying from the self-indulgence and incompetence in·com·pe·tence or in·com·pe·ten·cy n. 1. The quality of being incompetent or incapable of performing a function, as the failure of the cardiac valves to close properly. 2. of a public education establishment that has lost track of its goal - the education of our children. |
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