The NJEA bases their argument on changes in NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores between 1992 and 2011, which they contend proves that the achievement gap is narrowing in New Jersey. However, NAEP researchers consistently reinforce that the testing conditions in 1992 do now allow meaningful companion to later results because in the early years of testing students were not permitted accommodations in testing procedures. Because of these differences in methodology, direct comparisons between 1992 and 2011 are irresponsible and incomplete.
Using the state’s most recent NAEP scores, however, there are some startling statistics. New Jersey ranks between 2nd and 4th in overall attainment on four tests that NAEP offers – 4th and 8th grade language arts and math. This is unquestionably a remarkable achievement, and one for which we owe a debt of gratitude to our educators across the state.
But as the disaggregation of data required by No Child Left Behind demonstrates, high levels of overall achievement do not mean that every subgroup and every student is succeeding equally. In fact, there is only one state that has a higher gap between the proficiency levels of low- and high-income students in 8th grade reading – Alaska.
Of course, life isn’t fair. But it is a bedrock principle of American democracy that education is one way to level the playing field. The NJEA, which never ceases to proclaim that its primary mission is “for our children” (even when it ardently lobbies for programs, designed — at least in the eyes of most people — primarily to feather the nests of their own members) apparently has a vice president perfectly willing to throw poor kids under the bus of failing schools.There are some that argue that NJEA’s resentment towards the OSA is due to the fact that private and parochial schools don’t hire NJEA members. So what if we offered vouchers to public schools, a spin on the highly-touted Interdistrict Public School Choice Program? The IPSCP allows public schools with empty seats to volunteer to accept kids from outside district boundaries. What if it wasn’t voluntary? It’s one state school system, right? What if high-performing public schools were required to open up any empty seats to kids stuck in low-performing districts? The host schools would receive the cost per pupil – a voucher, if you will – and we start thinking about our school infrastructure as not segregated by zip code but part of a shared mission to provide thorough and efficient education to all kids.
There may be a case to be made against vouchers, but “that’s the way the cookie crumbles” is not it.
Labels: achievement gap, Cerf, NJEA