The Washington, D.C. testing scandal, and Michelle Rhee’s clumsy (she eventually called it “stupid”) attack on U.S.A. Today’s discovery of it, has been in the news the past few days. Robert Pondiscio has come-up with a catchy phrase to describe it — “Erase To The Top.”

Here’s how Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post describes its importance:

It’s important not only because Rhee has become a national education celebrity largely but not entirely based on her record of improving test scores in the District, and because she has enormous influence among policymakers. She was, after all, chosen from all of the school leaders in the country to be the star of “ Waiting for Superman. ”

Standardized tests have become the currency of modern school reform across the country, used to grade students, schools and teachers. Somehow reformers have got it into their heads that high-stakes standardized tests measure real learning. Assessment experts say they don’t.

Cheating scandals have been reported across the country ever since former President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind law ushered in the era of high-stakes testing. It is not exculpatory to say that the high stakes of the tests drove some teachers and principals to cheat, but it is explanatory. Such behavior won’t go away as long as standardized tests are used in high-stakes ways they never were designed to be used.

Here are my choices for The Best Posts & Articles About “Erase To The Top”:

Erase to the Top by Robert Pondiscio

Michelle Rhee’s Cheating Scandal is by Dana Goldstein at The Daily Beast

Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword Redux by Liam Goldrick

When standardized test scores soared in D.C., were the gains real? is the USA Today report

D.C. officials to review high rates of erasures on school tests is another USA Today article reporting on Rhee’s initial response to the scandal

Rhee calls her remarks on test erasures ‘stupid’ is by Jay Mathews at The Washington Post

Subpoena everyone in D.C. cheating scandal — including Rhee is by Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post

Shame On Michelle Rhee by Diane Ravitch

Cheating in DC: What Accountability Hath Wrought is by Justin Baeder at Ed Week.

Feedback is welcome.

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