The Education Consumers Foundation

What's New at the Foundation

If standardized testing is such a valuable tool for school improvement, why do so many educators oppose it?

The key difference is one of perspective. Parents, policymakers, and the consuming public view public education as a human development resource. Their top priority is literacy, numeracy, and the other educational outcomes that prepare youth to be productive members of adult society. Educators want these same outcomes but consider a broad range of other objectives to be of equal or greater importance.

This conflict mostly stays below the public's radar, but it occasionally bubbles up as a political battle between educators and elected officials about accountability. Tennessee and other states now implementing their Race to the Top Reforms are now experiencing the full blown problem.

Author Richard Phelps' classic Kill the Messenger: The War on Standardized Testing describes the issue and analyzes the arguments that non-educators must understand in order to defend and advance the public's educational goals.

J. E. Stone's preface to the 2005 edition frames the issue and outlines the chapters.

Tennessee Wins Race to the Top Award; ECF Points to Significant Reforms Contained in Tennessee's Application in February 15 Report

On March 29, the US Department of Education announced that two states - Tennessee and Delaware - would receive funds through the federal Race to the Top initiative. Tennessee's application contains some significant reforms; in a February 15 report, ECF highlighted 15 key developments of the state's plan that have the potential to dramatically improve schooling in the state. Go here to review the highlights.

And a new commentary: Why Tennessee Won: A Commentary on Tennessee's Watershed Reforms and the Race for the Rest.

New report: Tennessee can save $121.7 million over the next 10 years with alternate certification

A new analysis commissioned by ECF shows that dramatic cost savings are possible through expanded implementation of Tennessee’s Transitional Teacher Licensure Policy.

Recent studies confirm that teachers who have been trained by programs such as Teach for America, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, and similar organizations are as effective in the classroom as graduates of traditional teacher education programs. By expanding implementation of its recently enacted policy, Tennessee can save $2.3 million in the first year and $121.7 million over the next decade.

To download the complete report, click here (note: 6MB file). An executive summary is available here.

ECF highlights changes in TCAP and TVAAS reporting in 2009

In 2009, Tennessee recalibrated the grading scales used to report performance on the state's TCAP and TVAAS assessments. To see the magnitude of these reporting changes, the Education Consumers Foundation has charted the letter grade distributions of the following:

TVAAS reading: 2008 vs. 2009
TVAAS math: 2008 vs. 2009
TCAP reading: 2008 vs. 2009
TCAP math: 2008 vs. 2009

Click here to access these charts (PDF file).

Value-Added Achievement Award winner recognized by Nashville Council

In a resolution sponsored by Council Member Frank Harrison and signed by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Ruth Murray, Principal of McCann Alternative Learning Center, was recognized and congratulated for earning one of ECF's Value-Added Achievement Awards. Pictured above: Ms. Murray with Dr. Tim Webb, Commissioner of Education, and Dr. J.E. Stone, President of the Education Consumers Foundation.

Tennessee SCORE releases interim report on K-12 education

The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), a statewide reform initiative led by Senator Bill Frist, has published an interim report on the state of education in Tennessee. Go here to download the executive summary and complete report; see comments on the report from Dr. J.E. Stone, president of ECF, here.

Pacific Research Institute releases "Not as Good as You Think"

Not as Good as You Think: The Myth of the Middle Class School is a documentary that shatters the myth that “good” schools located in “nice” neighborhoods are shielded from the education crisis that pervades schools in poor, urban areas. ECF president Dr. John Stone is featured in the film, which is currently available on DVD.

ECF launches new website focused on effective schooling

As part of its August 2008 outreach campaign in Nashville TN, the Education Consumers Foundation launched a new standalone website providing information on effective schooling. The site offers detailed information for those living in Tennessee, and information that can be applied to schools outside the state. Visit the website to learn more.

ECF Recommends: Annual Growth, Catch-Up Growth

This book, referenced by Dr. Stone at the Value-Added Achievement Awards ceremony, details easy to replicate and proven methods used by one school district to assure student achievement in reading and math. Go here to learn more and to order this book, or here to review the 93 maxims identified through their work.

ECF points to effectiveness of Direct Instruction in new document

The Education Consumers Foundation highlights the results of Project Follow Through, the largest federal education research program in history, in this chart. Direct Instruction was proven to be most effective in all three areas studied - academics, problem-solving, and self esteem - yet has still not been incorporated into the mainstream.

Movie Trailer: Two Million Minutes

Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the 8th grade, the clock starts ticking. From that very moment the child has approximately two million minutes until high school graduation. How do they spend their time in the US, as compared with India and China? Click here to see a trailer for this new movie.

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Education Consumers Foundation releases new report: Effective Schools, Common Practices

The ECF sent a researcher to interview principals of six of the most effective schools in Tennessee; read the Foundation's new report to learn about the 12 practices that all of these six schools have in common.

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ECF produces online video explaining TVAAS and School Performance Charts

The ECF has created a 10-minute video to help consumers interested in school effectiveness understand Tennessee's TVAAS value-added system and the Foundation's own School Performance Charts. Click here to go view the video.

ECF releases Growth vs. Achievement Interactive Charts for Tennessee Schools

Tennessee schools are measured on two things: achievement, seen in standardized assessment and ACT results; and growth, reported through the state's value-added assessment system. For the first time, parents and other Tennessee citizens can plot the performance of their child's school and others across the district or state through the ECF's interactive Growth vs. Achievement Charts. See the following:

Elementary (containing grades 4-6)
K-8/Middle (containing grades 7-8)
High (containing grades 9-12)

And see the press release announcing this new chart here.

ECF Proposes a Prioritized Teacher Rating System for Tennessee

As Tennessee works to create a new reporting model for teacher performance, ECF has proposed a consumer-friendly model approach that accommodates multiple measures while prioritizing those of greatest interest to the public. See its proposed model here.

Winners of the 2010 Value-Added Achievement Awards announced

In an April 26 ceremony held at the Tennessee state capitol, the Education Consumers Foundation recognized principals of 18 of the most effective elementary and middle schools in the state. Click here to see the list of winners and learn about their successful approaches to education; read the press release here; review articles on the event; or read Dr. Stone's remarks at the ceremony.

Correcting TCAP Inflation: What to Expect in 2010

To correct acknowledged grade inflation in TCAP proficiency rates, the Tennessee State Board of Education has adopted the scoring model of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or "the nation's report card) and will increase reporting rigor this fall. What would your district's proficiency rates look like based on NAEP reporting standards? Click here to find out.

2009 School Performance Charts Published

Each year, ECF takes the value-added performance data provided by the state of Tennessee and presents it in the form of charts for elementary and middle schools in the state. This format allows parents and others to easily compare the performance of schools in their district or region; just follow the links below to explore ECF's interactive and intuitive charts.

LA Times features extensive report on value-added assessment

When Terry Grier joined San Diego USD as superintendent, he brought with him a desire to use value-added assessment in his school improvement efforts. Resistance by the education establishment to this and other initiatives led to his departure, and the conflict led the fourth largest newspaper in the US to report on the importance of value-added assessment in its print and online editions. The feature article can be found here, with supplemental resources as follows:

ECF publishes interactive map of school performance in Tennessee

The Education Consumers Foundation has produced an interactive map of Tennessee showing the location of Tennessee schools with information on achievement, growth, and poverty on a county-by-county basis. Go here to explore this map.

ECF hosts event on early childhood preparedness

On April 21, the Education Consumers Foundation hosted two events in Nashville centered on early childhood preparedness and the importance of effective intervention at an early age. The featured presenter was Lynn Fielding, chair of the Kennewick, Washington school board, which guided an early childhood initiative that brought the number of children reading at grade level by 3rd grade from 57% to 90%+ in ten years.

To see information from the event and learn about effective instruction at early grades, click here; to view videos showcasing Direct Instruction, click here; to see video clips of Dr. Stone's presentation, click here; or to view video clips of Mr. Fielding's presentation, click here .

Independent filmmaker releases new documentary on public education

Independent filmmaker Bob Bowdon has released The Cartel, billed as "a feature documentary on how American public education primarily serves its employees, not its children. Screenings are being held in New Jersey and elsewhere; DVD copies will be available in the fall.

ECF presentation to school board members now available

On November 15 and 16, ECF led breakout sessions for 200 Tennessee school board members on the link between workforce preparedness and early childhood education. You can review the entire presentation, including slides, comments, and links to supporting information, by going here.

New chart shows value-added and TCAP performance of Metro Nashville schools

The ECF has charted the value-added and TCAP scores of Davidson County's elementary and middle schools; click here to where your child's school falls and the system's distribution as a whole.

Education Consumers Foundation recognizes Tennessee's most effective elementary and middle schools

The ECF has launched a recognition program in Tennessee to highlight the achievements of the top 20% of elementary and middle schools as measured by value-added performance. Click here for more information.

Update: see here for an article in the Johnson City Press on the ECF Most Effective Schools initiative.

New chart shows effective schools in Johnson City and Washington County

The ECF recently recognized seven schools in Johnson City and Washington County through its Most Effective Schools program. See those schools charted on their TCAP and value-added performance in this PDF file.

ABCTE versus NBPTS

Two organizations offer advanced certification opportunities to teachers: the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Dr. George Cunningham, a member of the Education Consumers Consultants Network (ECCN), compares the two and provides his analysis in this new brief.

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See Direct Instruction in Action

Despite its proven effectiveness, Direct Instruction has not been universally accepted in education. Those familiar with the controversy, but unfamiliar with the method itself, may be surprised by how well-liked it is by parents and students. Go here for a series of online videos made available by the Fairfield-Suisun (CA) Unified School District. And go here to read an article on Project Follow Through, a decade-long research project that conclusively proved the effectiveness of direct instruction.

Update: Another DI success story in Gering, NE is highlighted in this video.