City clears self in bizarre test spike

An investigation into test scores at a school in the Bronx that skyrocketed and then plummeted back to earth after a principal received a $15k bonus and then retired has closed with no evidence of wrongdoing, despite the principal in question never being interviewed.

Seniority? Test Scores? Student Outcomes? The Argument for Rethinking Teacher Compensation

Many occupations and careers are incentivized, in other words based on performance. If a contractor finishes a job ahead of schedule and under budget, she might receive a bonus. If a chemist discovers a new and useful compound that generates profit for her business, she may find a healthy monetary bump in her paycheck. The teaching profession, in Miami, South Florida and beyond, has long resisted basing bonuses on students' performance on standardized tests, etc.

Karen Gallagher explores the issue in a new HuffPo blog post.

Paying students for high test scores?

In a new twist on an old problem, NYC is trying an incentivized approach to improving students' test scores.

Read the article from College News here.

State Math Exams Experience Inflation

Although some state exams have shown Math scores rising, experts say that may be due to instructors 'teaching to the test.'

From the New York Daily News:

"It's the state exam version of grade inflation. Soaring scores on the state math test don't necessarily add up to better schools or smarter kids."(read complete article here)