Are we still talking about NCLB ? Unfortunately yes. The House of Representatives is about to vote on a bill that would update the legislation to create more state control over local education efforts. Tied up in this are issues involving Common Core, assessment, and student data. In the meantime, maybe technology can advance to the point where educators can just use the tools and results can speak for themselves. Here’s an interesting piece from Wired on a Mark Zuckerburg-backed company called Panorama. The nugget: “The best teachers, parents, and principals know that what truly makes or breaks a student’s experience in school is not math and reading scores, but all the touchy-feely, fuzzy stuff. Things like whether kids feel safe on campus, exhibit self-confidence, or believe that teachers would even remember them a few years down the road.” Panorama uses survey tools to give school leaders a dashboard that takes the school temperature. Seems like better information that anything that can come from the sausage-making in Congress. —Kevin Hogan, Content Director
