The Standards Debate

books:

	• Will Standards Save Public Education Deborah Meier Beacon Press, 2000 - 104 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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The Standards Debate

This is one of the few books that relly looks at various sides of the debate about standards and standardization. Meier begins with a well resoned reivew of what the arguments for standardization are, and then why she believes that these actually get in the way of achieving high standards. Her article is then followed up with 5 other viewpoints on this debate.

As usual, Deborah Meier has a fresh take on standardized tests. While other critics fault standardized tests and what they measure, Meier contests the very idea of a centralized authority that dictates how and what teachers teach. This, she argues, sets up a terrible model for students because it doesn't allow for their teachers to emerge as thoughtful, accountable adults, seriously engaged with the dynamics of their own schools, classrooms, and communities. In turn, the students can't learn from them how to be thoughtful, accountable, creative adults and good citizens. Theodore Sizer, Abagail Thernstrom, Linda Nathan and others respond.

NEW DEMOCRACY FORUM
A series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. The series editors (for Boston Review), Joshua Cohen and Joel Rogers, aim to foster politically engaged, intellectually honest, and morally serious debate about fundamental issues?both on and off the agenda of conventional politics.

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