When you first take a look at it, the issue of measuring student learning appears to be an educational problem: what and how much do students actually learn? But when you investigate the educational accountability movement, especially here in the U.S., you realize that the preoccupation with measuring student learning is a problem that goes much deeper.
That’s what Josh Beach, the director of 21st Century Literacy, an education nonprofit, says in his two new books. They are called “Can We Measure What Matters Most? – Why Educational Accountability Metrics Lower Student Learning and Demoralize Teachers,” and “The Myths of Measurement and Meritocracy – Why Accountability Metrics in Higher Education are Unfair and Increase Inequality.”
There was a great old song by the group Tavares called “Remember What I Told You To Forget.” I promise not to sing, but it could be the theme of today’s Academic Minute.
Photo courtesy of GLPR.