Sunday, April 12, 2009

SPS Director Steve Sunquist said:
Where is the Empirical data?

SPS Director Steve Sunquist wisely asked:
"Where is the Empirical data?"


The NMAP related that the finding of Empirical Data is close to impossible because Empirical Data is for the most part non-existent.

Hook-Bishop-Hook did a huge study comparing reform elementary school math results from LAUSD and San Diego SD, which continued along the reform math path with other districts with similar demographics that moved to California's new internationally competitive standards and matching instructional materials. The reform materials produced vastly inferior results when compared with districts moving to internationally competitively curricula.

When Hook-Bishop-Hook, despite the previous peer-reviewed study, submitted funding requests for another study that was to examine how these same students fare in high school math classes given their k-8 preparation, the funding request was turned down.

This again appears to be just another example of the refusal to find results that contradict the prevalent mindless allegiance to materials that are not producing internationally competitive results, even when accompanied by large expenditures for professional development and coaching etc.

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The only best practice I can find (from NMAP) is that the use of example based instructional materials seems to be effective.

Seattle thus far demonstrates a particular avoidance of example based instructional materials.

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