Another DOE Trojan Horse. Smarter Balanced is not going anywhere. I’ve received lots of feedback the past couple hours in regards to my public lashing of DSEA and the events from yesterday’s Senate Education Committee meeting. But were you aware that behind the scenes, the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware are in the process of forming groups to “study the impact” of Smarter Balanced on what types of high school courses students take, college decisions and the overall success of higher education?
This is happening with no one the wiser. From what I understand, University of Delaware will conduct the research, the DOE will be in charge of most of the “policy-making”, and an advisory board will be constructed with relevant “stakeholders”. And we all know how that usually tends to go with these types of things. So before anyone makes assumptions on what is going on with the games being played, take a look at the Trojan horse the DOE and Governor Markell are about to launch on us again.
The Season Of Myths 
It’s no surprise to me. They will not abandon smarter balance. They are worried about losing federal funding that is why they are working so hard at making it so deep rooted in DE. They have too much money invested so why do they care who this test hurts. And if the teachers can get themselves out of the equation, they will. That just leaves our kids as pawns.
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Finally, someone who gets it! Thank you Appo Mom! I don’t think they are worried about losing federal funding though. They are worried about parents opting out so much it skews the data and breaks the system they have so methodically and sneakily built.
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Who is funding the research that UD will be conducting?
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Good question. Probably the DOE and more millions of dollars they give to them. Don’t have the answer to that one yet, but I’ll be happy to report it when I do!
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It could be like having a peek at the results before the research even begins.
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You are right Kevin. They aren’t worried about losing federal funding but that is what they will keep threatening with. It’s all about collecting their precious data off our kids backs. I never had any support from the teachers in my district so the lack of union involvement never surprised me.
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Considering how UD gave two priority schools an A despite Murphy/Markell failing them, I’d prefer the UD to do the evaluation over the DOE…. This DOE can be trusted with nothing….
And from what little you said, the UD could do the study and come to the same conclusion we all realize. The Smarter Balanced is a dumb method to assess any student.
To get rid of the SBA there has to be some type of study… One can’t in this world, dismiss 119 million dollars with a wave of the wand. One needs proof. This looks more like an exit stratagem than it does a continuation of the SBA.
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Kavips my friend, do not trust this at all. This will ALL lead to full SBAC/Common Core implementation in all grades and the SBAC replacing the SAT. I’m calling it now. Which is also my belief that if you predict the future, you can also fight the future. Because that’s what the ed reformers are, futurists. Their goals are long in scope and planned to the most minute detail. My goal is to always disrupt their trains from running on time and to be proactive in getting their information out before they are ready.
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