How Should We Judge Alonso?

Manipulating reports and statistics is an old and unsurprising practice. Yet, the practice in education circles is ramping up, as politicians and superstar district heads turn into statisticians to hail signs of their success. Frequently, data is incorrectly used to state that teachers, not economic conditions, are the “root cause” of test score disparities. Perhaps this is true, but reports thus far have been either conflicting, inconclusive, or poorly designed. The proliferation of “data,” brought on by NCLB, has increased statistical abuse, while more meaningful data is left by the wayside.

Though many teachers are skeptical of any multiple choice and limited response standardized test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (aka The Nation’s Report Card) has a solid reputation for delivering trusted results. It is proctored by trained examiners and tests students throughout the country, allowing localities across states to be meaningfully compared. The MSA, on the other hand, is given only in Maryland and changes from year to year, sometimes drastically, making it difficult to measure the true success of a student or school. Though politicians will always try to discount unfavorable results, NAEP is currently the best measurement we have to gauge student progress over time.

President Obama has signaled the importance of improved assessment. Even Martin O’Malley has demonstrated the need for better assessments and substantive comparisons. In March, Governor O’Malley announced that the state is considering using some of the stimulus funds to have a large sampling of students take the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA is not without flaws, but it will provide a more meaningful measurement for comparison than the MSA or HSA. Its sustained use will help us measure our own students’ growth more effectively.

I truly hope Alonso succeeds, and that Baltimore sees meaningful improvements on assessments, not for the numbers themselves, but for what they indicate. But the MSA and HSA alone are not sufficient measurements to demonstrate success. Given the recent history of districts and politicians misusing assessment scores for political purposes, it is up to the media and an engaged base of parents to hold Alonso accountable. We need to closely scrutinize NAEP data, as well as PISA data, if possible. Perhaps these measurements would still not be enough, but they will allow for a far more informed evaluation of Alonso’s tenure.

What other measurements should be used to gauge Alonso’s success? Real graduation rates and drop out rates? Should all measurement be based on pure student achievement, or are other factors crucial as well?