“Public education itself is at risk,” is how Diane Ravitch began her assertive address at the Ed MN conference on Friday. With a mixture of educational statistics, headlines with the background stories, and attack lines worthy of a Presidential debate, Ravitch called attention to “the agenda of deceptively named groups including Students First, MINNCAN, Democrats for Ed Reform, who are … Read More
ACT and General Mills Provide Insight
The Assessment and Accountability Work Group last week gained input from one of the state’s leading employer on what the company seeks in BS and Masters level graduates. The information provides perspective as the group considers requirements for a HS diploma and the current GRAD test. Sara Beaty, who is responsible for annually recruiting to General Mills 450 permanent new … Read More
Identifying GRAD Testing Issues and Benefits
The Assessment and Accountability Working Group gained insight on the background of the GRAD exam, how standards and benchmarks are developed, as well as the requirements in current statute related to graduation requirements at its recent meeting. There was also a very brief description of the Access Report, which was the 2009-2010 effort to reform Minnesota’s Graduation Assessments. The group began … Read More