Rhapsody in Numbers

Early last month, NPR reported that 178 teachers and principals in the Atlanta school system fudged student test results. That is, they cheated. I’ve been meaning to comment on this for a while, but have been busy with classes, and finally have a little free time this week.

What I find most surprising about how this story has been reported is how shocked everyone seems by it. The current system of assessment (which is a direct result of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation) creates an incentive system which rewards teachers that cheat. The system is not designed to reward quality educators, but rather to reward educators whose students manage to turn in better test results. It is a broken incentive system, and it is no wonder that people are trying to game it. I am surprised that we haven’t heard more stories like this!

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