In the News Journal today, the Rodel Foundation of Delaware and several civil rights groups posted a full-page ad opposing House Bill 50 and supporting Senate Joint Resolution #2. These are NOT important tests. In fact, they are designed so companies like Rodel can continue to absorb more funds which should be going into our classrooms so the very same low-income, minority and special needs children can get the resources they need. There is more than enough data, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment will not give timely or important information other than how bad kids do on standardized tests.
We must have been a completely broken society before this standardized testing craze. In the eyes of these folks, humanity must have become civilized at the dawn of the assessment age… I am reminded of a song from the 1980s…
The Exceptional Infinite 
Kevin,
Firstly, any organization must attain some level of standards and accountability before being concerned with keeping them. In other
words, while Delaware Education Leaders have been considering
various assessments and testing to determine results, surrounding states
have been vigorously making progress and can now concern themselves with keeping them, or sustainability.
In 2000, DE, MD, NJ, VA, PA responded to Congress’s invitation to Education and Health Care to participate in the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. MD focused their efforts on Montgomery Cty. Schools and in 2010 was the recipient of the Baldrige. PA, NJ, VA all have state-level
Baldrige/Education recipients.
Yes, Delaware is surrounded by education systems that know the look, feel, and sound of quality education.
Dr. Herdman and others would be wise to study the book most often used to teach matters of Equity and Equality, as it was written by those leaders in MD. The book: Leading for Equity; The Pursuit of Excellence in the Montgomery County Schools can show the way.
If surrounding states can do this over ten years; Why not Delaware?
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