School Reform Delivers

School Reform Delivers

 

States that measure teachers by student results show big gains on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

From the Wall Street Journal

Education Secretary Arne Duncan hailed this year's National Assessment of Educational Progress (i.e., the nation's report card) results on Thursday as "encouraging." That's true only if you look at Washington, D.C., Tennessee and states that have led on teacher accountability and other reforms.

Student scores on the test, which is administered every two years to a sample of schools in all 50 states, have barely budged since 2011. Average fourth and eighth grade math scores improved by one point on a scale of 0 to 500 while fourth-grade reading scores were flat. That's nothing to brag about, Arne.

However, a handful of states did post significant gains, and the District of Columbia and Tennessee stand out. Until very recently, Washington, D.C. was an example of public school failure. Then in 2009 former schools chancellor Michelle Rhee implemented more rigorous teacher evaluations that place a heavy emphasis on student learning. The district also tied pay to performance evaluations and eliminated tenure so that ineffective teachers could be fired.

Between 2010 and 2012, about 4% of D.C. teachers—and nearly all of those rated "ineffective"—were dismissed. About 30% of teachers rated "minimally effective" left on their own, likely because they didn't receive a pay bump and were warned that they could be removed within a year if they failed to shape up.

Clearing out the deadwood appears to have lifted scores. D.C. led the nation in student progress. Average reading scores jumped five points in the fourth grade and six in the eighth. The percentage of students scoring at or above "basic" in math rose by six points in both grade levels.

As an aside, the teachers unions and their liberal allies cite isolated incidents of teacher cheating on the district's annual standardized tests to discredit Ms. Rhee's reform. But even Mr. Duncan notes that "signs of progress on the NAEP—known as the nation's report card—are especially compelling because they cannot be attributed to teaching to the test or testing irregularities, such as cheating."

Also making large strides was Tennessee, where reading scores had plateaued between 1992 and 2011. One glaring problem was that teachers were evaluated only twice every 10 years, and collective-bargaining agreements prevented the state from requiring more accountability.

In 2011, Republican Governor Bill Haslam and the GOP legislature eliminated collective bargaining for teachers, which gave local districts the whip hand to change teacher contracts. The state also established a new evaluation system that weighs student achievement, increased to five years of service from three before teachers get tenure, and linked pay and job security to performance.

The results are striking: The share of fourth-graders performing at or above basic in reading increased to 67% from 60% while the percentage rated proficient in math rose by 10 points. Tennessee fourth-graders, who have historically trailed their national peers by five to seven points, closed the gap in both subjects.

Other states that have led in school reform also exhibited measurable progress. Indiana—which removed its cap on charter enrollment, expanded vouchers and instituted merit pay in 2011—demonstrated the third highest growth. The climb in scores that began early last decade with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's push for higher standards and greater accountability has continued.

Such states are case studies in how education reforms boost student achievement. Maybe politicians from states with failing grades should take a field trip.