Experience tells us, however, that while the threat of sanctions might force educators to act, most low-performing schools typically require technical assistance in devising a plan of action and in executing it. Moreover, money does matter. Some states have actually withheld funding from underachieving schools to force improvement, a step that education funding experts call counterproductive. Rewards for ratcheting up achievement are more likely to produce better results in such schools. On this count, the SED proposal is too vague or preliminary to pass judgment.
More information is needed.
The SASS proposal as it stands today is an improvement over the original, but it remains a work in progress. Already, report card data and test scores are widely publicized. The idea of attaching a label to every school comes dangerously close to providing a soundbite assessment without the details. Some form of a school rating system is coming to New York, and it can be a valuable tool, but only if it strengthens the public schools and improves the educational performance for all students. All rights reserved.