Grading Education

Richard Rothstein talked about his book Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right (Teachers College Press and Economic Policy Inst.; November 1, 2008). He makes a case for holding public schools accountable for more than just test scores. He argues that basic knowledge, basic skills and critical thinking are all needed upon graduation but are not necessarily taught. Mr. Rothstein talked about causes of the achievement gap between middle-class and disadvantaged students and how the measures instituted under the No Child Left Behind Act could be counter-productive. He talked about “The Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” at the Economic Policy Institute, a broad-based approach to education starting with early-childhood care. Mr. Rothstein responded to questions from members of the audience.

This was the keynote address of the Pennsylvanians Achieving Academic Success Conference, sponsored by the Pennsylvania-Learning First Alliance and the Pennsylvania State Education Assoc close