By Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro PhD and Karen Garibay-Mulattieri
Test scores are not the end-all be-all when it comes to predicting college success. Nor should they be the only data used to evaluate school performance. Studies conducted by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research have shown that attendance and grades in core subject areas are more reliable indicators of high school graduation and success thereafter. Yet, the national rhetoric and federal law remain firmly focused on student growth and subject area mastery as demonstrated by annual testing. This practice is troublesome for subgroups such as English learners and the newcomers who are a part of this group (newcomers are those students who are in their first year of... Continue Reading