DOCUMENT RESUME ED 422 453 UD 032 513 TITLE Selected Readings on School Reform. Vol. 2, No. 3. INSTITUTION Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 159p. PUB TYPE Collected Works - General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Accountability; *Charter Schools; Educational Assessment; *Educational Change; Educational Testing; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; *School Choice; School Restructuring; *Standards; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods; *Urban Schools; Urban Youth IDENTIFIERS *Reform Efforts ABSTRACT This selection of readings in the field of educational reform presents 46 articles, mostly from the news media, and 2 cartoons related to improvement of the educational system. It opens with "Network Notes," brief reports and reviews about events and recent publications of interest to those concerned with educational reform. The first set of essays, "The Front Lines," discusses school reform in practice, as it is being carried out today. The second section, "Charter Schools," looks at the charter school movement and the many obstacles charter schools are facing in 1998. As has been the case throughout the brief history, reviews of charter schools are mixed. "School Choice--And Choices" presents articles considering school choice initiatives in various parts of the country and public response to these efforts. "Standards, Tests, and Accountability" groups some articles on educational assessment and standards for achievement. A section on "Teacher Talent" considers teacher education and qualifications, and what should be done to improve teacher competence. "Curriculum and Pedagogy" presents articles on subject content and teaching methods in the context of educational reform. A section on "Higher Education" presents articles on educational equality, standards, and distance education. A "Grab Bag" section contains articles of interest in a variety of areas, including class size and parent participation. (SLD) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** . I 1 I 11 A I . ' I I a. o t 1 I I U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Off ice of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND CENTER (ERIC) 11 xThis document has been reproduced as DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS received from the person or organization BEEN GRANTED BY originating it I I El Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality MaL0,(4Las_brit/ _Thtiolas 6 Forelham, Points of view or opinions stated in this POL/M7 . document do not necessarily represent TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES official OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 I II I 1 I I 0 0 IS 2 If; I I 4 4 1 I ... ca Selected Readings on School Reform Summer 1998 Vol. 2, No. 3 The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation 1015 18th Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 223-5452 (202) 223-9226 (fax) (888) TBF-7474 (publications line) http://www.edexcellence.net Chester E. Finn, Jr. Dustees Presidant THOMAS B. Chester E. Finn Chester E. Finn, Jr. David H. Ponitz Thomas A. Holton Vire President UNDATION Bruno V. Manno 4O0-RDHAM Peter W. Nash Thomas A. Holton OUTSIDE THE SOX David H. Ponits Secretary 1 Treasurer Summer 1998 Diane B. Ravitch Dear Education Reformer, Greetings. We hope you're having a fantastic summer. The school reform movement certainly is. In case you've been out of the country (or taking vacation really seriously), we provide you an update on some historic happenings. In the past several months, school choice scored several break-throughs. The highlights include a privately-financed plan to offer vouchers to all low-income children in the Edgewood School District, adjoining San Antonio; the launch, thanks to Messrs. Teddy Forstmann and John Walton and a few colleagues, of a massive nationwide private scholarship program; the remarkably strong Wisconsin Supreme Court decision upholding vouchers for religious schools; and the conversion of Teachers' College President Arthur Levine to the cause of vouchers. Using Paul Gigot's image, it feels like a dam is breaking. On the other hand, it's been a tough couple of months for charter schools, at least in the press. Even as several more states have enacted charter laws (and some, such as New York, have backed away from the precipice), sharp criticisms have been published, arguing that some charters are selling parents a bag of goods. We include for your inspection The New York limes Magazine's"Schools for Sale" and U.S. News & World Repores"The New Education Bazaar," among others. We also invite your attention to several grand critiques of the conventional wisdom about teacher education, one by Heather Mac Donald and two by Michael Podgursky and Dale Ballou. Mac Donald went undercover for City Journal to investigate the nation's shoddy schools of educationand lived to write a penetrating review. Podgursky and Ballou's Public Interest piece finds plenty to fault in the recommendations of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, and their Education Week commentary questions the efficacy of that near- sacred cow, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Our brace of hard-working summer internsBrad White and Mark Schefilerdid most of the heavy lifting on this issue. Brad just graduated from Vanderbilt (and is eager to stick with the field of education reform) while Mark will return to Grove City College for his senior year. We think youll agree that they did a fine job. Obviously, the education world no longer slows down for summer break. Enjoy the reading. Well see you again in the Fall. Sincerely, Chester E. Finn, JrJ Michael J. Petrilli President Program Director 1015 18th Street, NW Suite 300Washington, DC, 20036Thlephone (202) 223-6452Fax (202) 223-9226 http://www.edexcellence.net II 4 CONTENTS Vol. II, No. 3 Summer 1998 I NET NOTES I 1 Student Guarantee. The Wall Street Journal,April 13, 1998. 41 THE FRONT LINES 7 SCHOOL CHOICE 43 Clinton Flunks. By Chester E. Finn, Jr. School Choice: Once Fantasy, Now Reality. The Weekly Standard.*June 15, 1998. 8 By Paul Gigot. The Wall Street Journal.June 12, 1998. 44 Lisa Graham Keegan, Too Good for the GOP? Texas Business Foundation To Pay for By David Brooks. School Vouchers. The Weekly Standard.*April 27, 1998. 10 By Carol Marie Cropper. The New York Times.April 23, 1998. 45 Vermont Levels Its Schools. By Amity Shlaes. Voucher Program for Inner-City Children. The Wall Street Journal.April 22, 1998. ......13 By Jacques Steinberg. The New York Times.June 10, 1998. 46 Prevailing Perceptions of Public Schools. By Deborah Wadsworth. Wisconsin Court Upholds Vouchers in American School Board Journal.*March 12, Church Schools. 1998. 15 By Ethan Bronner. The New York Times.June 11, 1998. 47 CHARTER SCHOOLS 17 Excerpts from the Wisconsin Supreme Court School Choice Ruling. Schools for Sale. Education Week.*June 17, 1998. 49 By Michael Winerip. The New York Times.June 11, 1998. 50 New York Times Magazine.June 14, 1998. ..19 Voucher Plans Surface in Hearing on Head The New Education Bazaar. Start Reauthorization. By Thomas Toch. By Linda Jacobson. U.S. News & World Report.April 7, 1998. ...27 Education Week. *June 17, 1998. 51 Letter in Response to Toch. New York is to Use Public Funds for Private By Mary Gifford. Pre-Kindergarten Classes. The Center for Market-Based Education.* By Somini Sengupta. April 28, 1998. 31 The New York Times,June 19, 1998. 52 Charter Schools Struggle with Why I'm Reluctantly Backing Vouchers. Accountability. By Arthur Levine. By Lynn Schnaiberg. Wall Street Journal,June 15, 1998. 54 Education Week.*June 10, 1998. 33 Blocking the Exits. Final is trial for charter pupils. By Clint Bolick. By Lolly Bowean. Policy Review.*May/June 1998. 55 The Boston Globe,June 19, 1998. 35 A Vital Compromise. People's Prep. By Richard Whitmire. By Mark Francis Cohen. Washington Monthly.* May 1998. 58 The New Republic.*June 15, 1998. .36 Detroit charter schools unique. By Charles Hurt. STANDARDS, TESTS, AND 61 The Detroit News,May 20, 1998. ACCOUNTABILITY Charter Schools Face Tests in Rush to Get Ready. Promoting Failure. By Valerie Strauss. By Kent Fisher. The Washington Post, May4, 1998. 39 The St. Petersburg Times . May17, 1998..... 62 Ill Teachers Told to Pump Up Grades. Are Schools Too Hard on Kids? By Nanette Asimov. By Matthew Robinson. The San Francisco Chronicle. April 4, 1998. ..66 Investor's Business Daily. March 6, 1998. ...121 New; School of Thought on Tests. HIGHER EDUCATION 123 By Ellen Nakashima. The Washington Post. May 26, 1998. 67 Clinton's Classroom Quotas. .By Jessica Gavora. States Raise the Bar. The Wall Street Journal. April 21, 1998. 124 By Donna Harrington-Lueker. American School Board Journal.* CUNY's 4-Year Colleges Ordered to Phase June 1998. 69 Out Remedial Education. By Patrick Healy. TEACHER TALENT 73 The Chronicle of Higher Education. June 5, 1998. 126 Why Johnny's Teacher Can't Teach. By Heather Mac Donald. Not-So-Distant Competitors. City Journal.* Spring 1998. 74 By Ted Marchese. AAHE Bulletin. * May 1998. 128 A Confederacy of Constructivists. By Richard Sletvett.* 85 GRAB BAG 133 The Case Against Teacher Certification. The Diogenes Factor. By Dale Ballou and Michael Podgursky. By Herbert J. Walberg and Public Interest. * Summer 1998. 87 Rebecca C. Greenberg. Education Week.* April 8, 1998. ... 134 Some Unanswered Questions Concerning National Board Certification of Teachers. Federal Class-Size Reports Do an About- By Dale Ballou and Michael Podgursky. Face. Education Week.* June 10, 1998. 94 By David J. Hoff Education Week.* June 10, 1998. 136 Squeezing the Lemons of Teaching. By Chris Satullo. For Baby Boomers, A 90's Kind of Sit-In. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 30, 1998.... 97 By Amy Stuart Wells. New York Times Education Life. There Are No Secrets in Schools.