Ask Judge Mathis

For several years, ever since the No Child Left Behind Act took effect, students, teachers and school districts have felt the pressure that comes from living in a nation that uses standardized tests as its sole method for measuring student proficiency. When too many students at one school perform poorly on these tests, teachers can be been fired, principals replaced and schools closed. Hundreds of teachers were fired in DC schools because of poor performance by students on test. The stakes are high. But no one would have guessed that the pressure would lead to alleged cheating on these exams.

An investigation by USA Today into drastic test score turnarounds at Noyes elementary, a Washington, DC public school, revealed that seventh grade students in one classroom at the school each had, on average, nearly 13 wrong answers that were erased and changed to the correct answer.

Coincidence? Maybe not. In 2006, 10% of the school’s students “passed” the standardized math test. In 2008, nearly 60 percent did. Tests scores showed the school made similar gains on the reading portion of the test. Perhaps the teachers simply worked harder and ensured students absorbed the lessons? Maybe. But it’s important, for comparison, to note that the average wrong to right erasure for seventh graders throughout the D.C. public school system was less than one.

Noyes elementary school isn’t the only one with questionable score improvement. 58 Atlanta schools are under investigation because high rates of wrong answers changed to right on student answer sheets raised flags. Similar occurrences have raised red flags in Detroit as well.

If this is, in fact, cheating, who is responsible? Teachers? School principals? No one is sure but one thing is certain: if it’s happening in DC, Detroit and Atlanta, it is happening in other cities. Changing test answers to fake improvement doesn’t help our students. It hurts them. That is why a federal task force needs to be formed to investigate drastic improvement on standardized tests at our nation’s public schools. We want to believe that our teachers and principals are honest but we also know that fear – of being fired if students perform poorly – or greed – teachers and principals at Noyes received bonuses when scores improved – are powerful motivators.

There also needs to be another way to measure student performance. We cannot simply rely on standardized tests. Periodic monitoring can easily show how students and teachers perform in the classroom. Required essays and math ‘projects’ will show us that students can actually apply what they are taught. Diversifying the way we measure student performance – and deciding the fate of teachers, principals and schools – will also help keep things honest.

After being urged by President Obama to invest in our nation’s students, you would think our federal lawmakers would do anything they could to preserve a program that sets the foundation for a lifetime of achievement, right? Wrong. Once again, Republicans are moving to cut a program that helps average Americans and, in this case, specifically the poor.

The Head Start Program is yet another social program the Republican Party has targeted for major cuts. Head Start provides educational and health services to low-income children and their families. Head Start has been one of the most studied early education programs since it began more than 40 years ago. The program has proven itself to be one of the United State’s most successful social experiments and an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Research shows students who complete Head Start do better both socially and academically and are less likely to drop out of high school.

Yet, Republicans want to cut the program by more than 22-percent. They say Head Start isn’t as effective as supporters claim. To be fair, some studies show that achievement levels of some Head Start attendees start to drop off after first grade. However, this could speak to the quality of the school they enroll in after the program. Additionally, the program’s opponents say too much money is spent maintaining the program and not enough on enrolling new students.

It’s not clear if the Republican Party is against poor people, working mothers, low-income children or all three. All of the cuts it’s leaders have moved to make have been to programs the support and empower the poor. If they are successful in taking away the building blocks that many have used to create a foundation for future success, America’s middle class will continue to shrink and the number of families living below the poverty line will increase.

If the Republicans were serious about balancing the budget they’d take a look at programs with inflated and misappropriated budgets, starting with the military. Sure, it’s critical that the U.S. has a strong military in place but studies have shown that program is rife with wasteful spending. It’s not the only area where money is either being wasted or being misused. A good, honest budget scrub will show the Republicans – and Democrats – just which programs can handle significant cuts.
If you believe in the power of Head Start and can testify to how it helped a child – past or present – in your life, call your elected officials. Let them know that they absolutely cannot cut Head Start. Our children’s – and our nation’s – success depends on it.