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Chapter 3, Part III: Local Accreditation Reflects National Standards and Assessments

If a state voluntarily chooses to implement Goals 2000, it receives additional federal funding.Â? It’s the state’s responsibility to ensure the implementation of Goals 2000Â? throughout the state.Â? Â? If a school district “voluntarily” chooses not to implement the reforms, the school district looses its accreditationÂ? and funding, and is dissolved.Â? District taxpayers are forced to pay the tuition and transportationÂ? of students wishing to attend an accredited district. See this book’s chapter titled the National Center on Education and the Economy.

Through Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the federal government has legislatively created a� National Educational Goals Panel, known as the “Goals Panel.”� Its purpose is to report to the President, the Secretary, and Congress as to the progress of states that are implementing standards� and strategies (set by a consortium� of national organizations) to help all students� meet “state” content standards and “state” student performance� standards.[1]� While this may sound like local control, it is not.

The New Standards Project (NSP) is a “project” of the National Center on Education and the Economy, and the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh.� “The National Center on Education and the Economy is a not-for-profit organization created to develop proposals for building the world class education and training� system that the United States must have if it is to have a world-class economy.� The Center engages in policy analysis and development and works collaboratively with others at local, state and national levels to advance its proposals in the policy arena.”[2] The National Center on Education and the Economy is essentially part of the “pipeline” which transmits federal education, health, and labor reforms to the state and local levels.

“New Standards has published a three-volume set of student performance standardsÂ? in four subjects at the elementary, middle and high school levels–New Standards drew on the work of several organizations:Â? the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Research CouncilÂ? and the National Science Teachers Association, as well as that of states, school districts and other countries–Scholastic, Inc., helped New Standards design and produce the portfolio system, which is available from the RochesterÂ? Office of the National Center on Education and the Economy–Â? Harcourt BraceÂ? Educational Measurement is producing, distributing and scoring the New Standards’ reference exams-the nation’s leading, large-scale performance assessment–Â? New Standards is working to train the scorers at Harcourt Brace.Â? New Standards developed the scoring rubrics and scoring training–New Standards is a grassroots partnershipÂ? of states and urban school districts that is adopting a set of very high national education standards and developing a new kind of assessment system designed to gauge student progress toward those standards.”[3]

Marc Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy� listed the following “partners” in his 1992 proposal to the New American Schools Development Corporation

Â? - Apple Computer, Inc.

Â? - Center for the Study of Social Policy

Â? - Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce

Â? - Harvard Project on Effective Services

Â? - Learning Research and Development CenterÂ? at the University of Pittsburgh

- National Alliance of Business

- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

- New Standards Project

- Public Agenda Foundation

- XeroxÂ? Corporation

- States of: Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, Vermont, and Washington

- Cities of: Pittsburgh, PA; Rochester, NY; San Diego, CA; and White Plains, NY

The March 1996 issue of The New Standard states that “the New Standards� is jointly run by the National Center on Education and the Economy� and the Learning Research and Development Center� at the University of Pittsburgh.� The partners are the states of: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont� and the school districts in Fort Worth� (TX), New York� City, Pittsburgh, Rochester� (NY), San Diego� and White Plains� (NY). The partners collectively teach more than half of the public school students in the United States.”

See also this book’s chapter titled the National Center on Education and the Economy� regarding the National Center on Education and the Economy’s Americaís Choice:� High Skills or Low Wages! and the Certificate of Initial Mastery.

State standardsÂ? are guaranteed to be consistent with those of the New Standards ProjectÂ? which are implemented state by state.Â? Local participation and input are welcomed and necessary, since it is at the local level where NSP goals and objectives are implemented.

The New Standards� Project entered into a Memorandum of Understanding� (contract) with Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education� on January 12, 1993.� Each state’s annual partnership� dues is set by the Governing Board.� “The amount will be based upon Missouri’s public school enroll­ment in grades K through 12.� For the fiscal year July 1, 1993, through June 30, 1994, Missouri’s dues will be $250,000 [1st. year)--Missouri will work--committing time and resources to the realization of the New Standards Project.”� The length of Missouri’s contract is from July 1, 1993 through June 30, 1995.

The Director of the Missouri Division of Assessment� explained that a state’s dues for participation in the New Standards Project� are based on the size of the state.� Missouri is considered a medium-sized state.� The State explained to me that as long as the state legislature annually appropriates funds� for the $250,000 yearly dues, the New Standards Project’s “Memorandum of Understanding” is self-perpetuating.� When Missouri stops paying the dues, Missouri will no longer participate.� When asked how this was so, since no contract-type instrument had been signed since 1995, the Director said he really did not know.

According to the June/July 1996 issue of The New Standard� “When the New Standards Project� started we were supported solely by foundation grants.� Then, to accomplish all the work on our plate, we began charging membership dues to our state and local partners.� We will stop collecting dues in June 1997, and our foundation grants will terminate a year later.� New Standards will now enter the marketplace to receive the value for our products that will allow our work to continue.� We have begun to develop joint ventures with private organizations.� The most notable to date is our partnership� with Harcourt Brace� Educational Measurement, which is marketing, distributing and scoring (under New Standards supervision) our reference examination, and is publishing the version of the standards� to be released in September.”

� The “benefits” listed in this “Understanding” include:

“3.1 Development of an assessment� system including the use of all standards� and assessments devised by the New Standards Project, as these materials become available

3.2 Certification of validity of the New Standards assessmentÂ? system as it is implemented in Missouri

3.3 Certification of comparability between Missouri’s standards� and assessments and those of the New Standards Project

3.4 Assistance in the development and implementation of on-site trainingÂ? programs for teachers and other professionals with regard to New Standards initiatives

3.5 Certification of lead teachers with skills in such areas as task development and scoring

3.6 Incorporation of equity concerns in all New Standards work, and consultation concerning the equity implications of Missouri’s own standards� and assessments

3.7 Assistance in developing a public engagement program to help parents and the general public understand the New Standards agenda and provide opportunities for public comment.

3.8 Participation in piloting and special studies conducted by New Standards Project

3.9 Participation in national and regional assemblies

3.10 Representation on the Governing Board of the New Standards Project, with each partner receiving an equal number of votes.”

The “contract” lists Missouri’s responsibilities to include participation in the following:

“4.1 National and regional New Standards conferences, such as the annual summer institute

4.2 Development of standardsÂ? and assessments in conjunction with other New Standards partners

4.3 Piloting of New Standards assessments including adminis­tration of the assessments and completion of related evaluations

4.4 Development and implementation of a roll out plan for the dissemination of New Standards approaches within Missouri, including professional developmentÂ? for teachers and other educators

4.5 Development of guidelines which will ensure that all studentsÂ? are treated equitably in the use of standardsÂ? and assessments

4.6 Meetings of the Governing Board of the New Standards Project

4.7 Other initiatives which may be agreed upon from time to time by Missouri and the New Standards Project.”[4]

Missouri’s “Memorandum of Understanding” was signed by the following three people: Robert E. Bartman, Missouri’s Commissioner of Education; Lauren Resnick, Director of the Learning Research and Development Center� at the University of Pittsburgh;� and Marc Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy.

It’s interesting to note that a man named Michael A. Resnick� is the Senior Associate Executive Director of the National School Boards Association as well as Editor-in-Chief of School Board News, the Association’s national publication.

Missouri’s new performance-based assessmentÂ? [OBE] is called the Missouri Assessment Project 2000 (MAP 2000).Â? An informational booklet is available through the Assessment Section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at 1-800-845-3545.Â? “NSPÂ? (New Standards Project is a RESOURCE for use in Missouri’s new instructional and assessment method or system.Â? NSP is providing–assessments and professional development.Â? Missouri will be using tasks designed by NSP, as well as tasks developed by Missouri teachers–Performance assessment is too expensive and time consuming to use for everything–Six work groups, each with a maximum of 25 members, were appointed by the State Board of Education to work on what will be assessed.Â? The work groups include communication, fine arts, health, math, science and social studies–The new assessment system will begin to be phased in during the 1995-96 school year.Â? In 1996-97, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will start phasing out the MMATÂ? (Missouri Mastery and Achievement Test).Â? The new assessment system must be considered as part of the accreditationÂ? process beginning in 1998.”[5]

“The State-developed performance assessment� will eventually replace the Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests. As each subject-area test in the new assessment system is implemented and required for school district use, the corresponding subtest of the MMAT will not be required. However, some districts may elect to use portions of the MMAT along with the performance-based assessments, in order to obtain the data� needed to meet state accreditation� standards� (under the Missouri School Improvement Program).� During the first year of implementation, the math, communication arts and science assessments will be voluntary� on the part of school districts.� Districts will be required to administer the math assessment in 1998.� Communication arts and science will be required in 1999. The remaining subject areas will be required in 2000.”

“The following timeline is the implementation schedule for developing the performance assessment, based on current funding levels:

* Math, Spring 1997

* Communication Arts, Spring 1998

* Science, Spring 1998

* Social Studies, Spring 1999

* Fine Arts, Spring 2000

* Health/P.E. Spring 2000”

“Three types of test instruments will be used in evaluating student achievement in each subject area-the familiar multiple-choice test, a short-answer or constructed-response test, and performance� events.� State-level assessments are being developed for students in grades 4, 8, and 10. In some subjects, testing in grade 11 (instead of grade 10) is being considered.”[6]

Every citizen should obtain a copy of The Show-Me Plan� Revised Benchmarks Mapping a Brighter Future dated January 1997.� This document provides a more specific explanation of what the State’s reforms include.� For example, Goal V-Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning� includes that “A ‘Best Practice Program’ is identified and catalogued for each labor market area� in the state (15).� At least one additional program will be initiated and catalogued each year thereafter until services are available for every learner (45 Total).”� Other goals include “825 businesses are participating in school-to-work� partnerships� or activities; 60 local partnerships are operating School-to-Work� programs; 150 One-Stop Career Centers� are in operation.”[7]

You can see how the infrastructure is government-oriented rather than free enterpriseÂ? from top to bottom.Â? This is the infrastructure that will ensure that government health and education goals are met.Â? School districts which do not comply will lose their accreditationÂ? and be lapsedÂ? (dissolved).

Missouri has nine regional professional development� centers� (RPDC). The nine regional centers are located at:� Southeast Missouri State University; the University of Missouri-Columbia; the� University of Missouri-Kansas� City;� Truman State University in Kirksville;� Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville; the University of Missouri-Rolla; Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield; the Network for Educational Development at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; and Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg.”[8]� “These centers will be the site of professional development activities as they relate to school-to-work”[9] (see this book’s chapter titled National Center on Education and the Economy).

The RPDCs are a “convenient resource to school districts throughout the state–providing timely assistance, research, trainingÂ? and other programs in such areas as technology, curriculum development and assessment.”[10]Â? This structure provides “natural connections with colleges and the departments of education which, in turn, will be able to establish close working ties with school districts and other educational organizations within their region.Â? Another idea that the Department is exploring would be to house some or all of the Area Supervisors of Instruction (DESE’s employees) at these regional centers.

See the chapter titled Locally Implementing Federal Goals regarding the nationalization of teacher certification.