Misunderstanding? Hardly!
This is getting ridiculous. The Tulsa World reports this morning that Superintendent Barresi is claiming to parents that the authors of the report ripping Oklahoma’s A-F Report Card system to shreds have recanted on their findings. Nothing could be further from the truth.
They haven’t changed their opinions. They haven’t apologized. They weren’t in the least bit wrong. They used sound research methods to point out a plethora of flaws. University of Oklahoma professor Patrick Forsyth says that none of the research team members have spoken about the findings to anyone at the SDE:
“I just think that there isn’t anyone at the state Department (of Education) who can really understand the scope of the critique,” he said. “From what was reported to me, the superintendent is just essentially dismissive of the report.”
Forsyth added that the entire A-F system is not worth saving, and that the department should start over.
It’s one thing to claim, as the Oklahoman did, that the findings don’t ring true. They’re entitled to their wrong opinion. Making up stories about researchers seeing the error of their ways is an altogether different story.
This was no misunderstanding, as the SDE now claims. This was an attempt to deceive parents – which pretty much is the problem with A-F Report Cards in a nutshell.
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And what did we expect electing a dentist to the position of State School Superintendent. Perhaps she needs to take a statistics class.
I doubt she could pass it.
I really can’t speak to her aptitude. I think it’s more about interest. There’s no intent among the top people at the SDE to get this right. They’re set on pleasing their handlers with FEE and Chiefs For Change.
Would you help get the word out that the social studies test this year is only a field test? The s d e sent out information explaining that the field test results of the entire test will not be shared with districts or parents.
I will try to focus on this soon. With the testing cycle getting ready to start, we need a full discussion of the cost, both financial and human. The return-on-investment is just not there.
You would have but to go to our website and read the rebuttal provided to the legislature by the SDE against our common core state standards interim study, to see how correct you are in your assessment of the understanding level of this department in the area of research. Quite embarrassing actually, we thought…www.restoreokpubliceducation.com