The Long View on Student Testing: Ups and Downs, but Achievement Gap Persists

Posted by & filed under CGR Staff.

Erika RosenbergSummer’s finally here, but just weeks ago students in schools across New York completed state tests that carry bigger stakes than ever before. This is the first year that test scores will feed into teacher evaluations, and with the tests now aligned with the new Common Core curriculum, many observers believe passing rates will decline.

The push-back against testing and increased accountability has grown, and it’s easy to see why. Students, families and schools have seen passing rates decline, felt more pressure to increase performance and wondered whether testing now gets too big a space in education. It’s worth revisiting why and how these changes came about, and examining the long-term trend in performance.

Read more »

State Initiative Need to Spur Reinvention of Local Government in NYS

Posted by & filed under CGR Staff.

Charles ZettekKent GardnerOn April 12 the Dyson Foundation/Marist Poll released the first statewide survey of NYS residents’ opinions on local government consolidation (see www.nylocalgov.org). While restructuring is central to Governor Cuomo’s strategy to cut the tax burden, the results suggest that change will be slow without further state action.

  • Support for restructuring is hardly universal, despite the bewildering complexity of NYS local government.
  • Support varies by function: Highway services are more readily shared than public safety or education—why?
  • Experience shows that the status quo is hard to dislodge, even where support is strong. How might state action spur cost-effective re-invention?

Read more »