I wish I could say for sure, but I thought I heard something about big improvements in the reading and math test for third graders this year. If so, I guess it would show what a little encouragement will do. When they knew they’d get promoted regardless, the students and teachers did not put that much effort into it. When they realized the students would not be promoted without good scores on the tests, both the teachers and the students improved.

That is sort of the way things work. When the teachers started really looking bad, they did better. Moreover, they encouraged the students to try harder. In a way, it is the purpose of the test.

When I went through instructor training, they told us there were three reasons for tests. It measures the students individual progress. It measures the teachers effectiveness. Finally, they alert management to trends. Is just one student having problems, is one class having problems, or as in Memphis school’s case, is there something wrong with the system. I mean the whole school system was failing, not just one student, class or even school. It was a school system wide failure. That’s when the administrations start having to answer questions. That’s when they have to start making changes.

Finally, if they are having some success now, it does show, when they want to do it, they can. If we let them come up with excuses they will.