Dr. J.E. Stone at ECF’s Prepared to Learn Event

posted in: General Information |

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 – 8:30am to 11:30am Nashville Hilton Downtown Dr. John Stone, founding president of the Education Consumers Foundation, spoke on effective early childhood education at Prepared to Learn, an April 21, 2009 event hosted by the foundation in partnership with the Tennessee School Boards Association. Visitors can view his presentation through the clips below. Note that this video is provided in MPEG-4 format, which is best viewed with Apple’s QuickTime media player. This application is … Read More

PREPARED TO LEARN: How all children can reach grade level by 3rd grade

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 – 8:30am to 11:30am Nashville Hilton Downtown On April 21, more than 100 educators and community leaders gathered in Nashville to discuss how effective early childhood education can have a major impact on high school and postsecondary outcomes; the event was followed with a private briefing for legislators. Photos, PowerPoint presentations, and links to more information are provided below; streaming video of the morning meeting will be available in the next few days. Check … Read More

Correcting TCAP Grade Inflation: What to Expect in 2010

posted in: General Information |

It has long been acknowledged that reported scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) are among the most inflated in the country. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently gave Tennessee an ‘F’ when ranking states’ truth in advertising for reporting K-12 outcomes. Recognizing that more reliable reporting was needed, the Tennessee State Board of Education has adopted the scoring model of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a more rigorous national assessment (also known as “America’s … Read More

A Legacy of Blind Compassion

posted in: Briefings & Reports |

An Occasional Paper by J. E. Stone October 15, 2004 Briefing Government mandated measures such as the No Child Left Behind Act and New York City’s program to retain failing third graders would be unnecessary if the grades contained in student report cards were accurate indicators of student progress. In practice, however, objective tests and remedial programs are needed because many teachers worry more about discouraging their pupils than providing an accurate report. They are motivated by a … Read More

Why Tennessee Won: Tennessee’s Watershed RTTT Reforms and the Race for the Rest

By J.E. Stone, Ed.D. President Education Consumers Foundation April 7, 2010 On March 29, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Tennessee was one of just two states to receive a Race to the Top (RTTT) grant in the first phase of the competition. Within minutes – before reviewers’ scoring notes had even been released – pundits proclaimed that stakeholder buy-in, particularly union buy-in, was the determining factor. Their take and their skepticism were not unwarranted. In our … Read More

The Politics of the PTA

posted in: General Information |

George Clowes (2003) The national PTA has a long history of public policy advocacy and close ties with the National Education Association.  Charlene Harr’s book discusses her discovery of that history. Intended or not, local PTAs have served as education and political subsidiaries of the NEA. Harr’s discovery eventually led to the emergence of independent, local, grassroot Parent Teacher Organizations. https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/taking-the-parent-out-of-the-national-ptaan-exclusive-interview-with-charlene-k-haar

Can you know the score without looking at the scoreboard?

posted in: General Information |

From Reversing American Decline by J. E. Stone (2013) Everyone says they want excellent schools, but do we encourage those that are doing the best?  We recognize that coaches and players are encouraged when we complement them for good games and good seasons, but most people most people can’t even find the scoreboard for their favorite school.  If you want better schools, inform yourself, complement the best, and encourage the rest.  The Education Consumers Foundation gives you easy access to basic … Read More

A Nation At Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform

posted in: General Information |

National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983) Our Nation is at risk. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.  As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament. https://edreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/A_Nation_At_Risk_1983.pdfhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk.html

Characteristics of Effective School Boards

posted in: General Information |

Center for Public Education (2011) Effective school boards are accountability driven and data savvy, and engaged with both the public and school personnel.  Ineffective boards tend to be the opposite.  Rather than being goal setters and drivers of improvement, they leave the academic side of schooling to the educators and take a largely passive role with regard to school performance outcomes.  https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/cpe-eight-characteristics-of-effective-school-boards-report-december-2019.pdf?la=en&hash=1E19C481DAAEE25406008581AE75EB2ABA785930

Parents have their doubts about the state of public schooling but they believe their local schools are fine

posted in: General Information |

Poll, USA Today (2011) Americans today like their kids’ public schools than at any time in the past 36 years ­ even though they believe U.S. education in general has taken a bit of a dive. Most of what parents and local communities know about their local schools comes from the schools themselves.  Not surprisingly, they have a positive image no matter what the data. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-08-16-public-schools-poll-parents_n.htm

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