In this text, Diane Ravitch reviews the history of standards and assessments in American education; reviews evidence about student achievement in the United States; and state-level activities; and analyses the prospects for a national assessment system. During the last two decades, as evidence of declining student performance has mounted, public dissatisfaction with the quality of American schools has reached an all-time high. Many elected officials, educators, and policymakers have concluded that the solution lies in establishing standards to clarify educational objectives and a testing system to determine if progress is being made. Both Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton endorsed this idea and each proposed legislation to promote its development. But while this effort has enjoyed wide support, it has also attracted bitter opposition from both political extremes, largely because of concerns about a national curriculum and federal control of education. Ravitch contends that raising standards is not only about raising the achievement of the best students, but also about raising the achievement of all students. In order to implement systematic reform that achieves this goal, she suggests that deciding what children should learn is the first step. However, national standards should not discredit unorthodox educational programs or dictate instructional methods. She makes recommendations regarding the role of states in setting standards for schools and districts, the role of institutions of higher learning and business in promoting standards, and the role of assessments in maintaining standards. Ravitch concludes that a system of standards and assessments, no matter how reliable, will not solve all the problems of American education, but it will help to get the learning part of the educational system right. Ultimately, the improvement of American education depends on widespread cultural support for educational achievement.
Diane Ravitch
I was born in Houston, Texas, in 1938. I am third of eight children. I attended the public schools in Houston from kindergarten through high school (San Jacinto High School, 1956, yay!). I then went to Wellesley College, where I graduated in 1960.
Within weeks after graduation from Wellesley, I married. The early years of my marriage were devoted to raising my children. I had three sons: Joseph, Steven, and Michael. Steven died of leukemia in 1966. I now have three grandsons, Nico, Aidan, and Elijah.
I began working on my first book in the late 1960s. I also began graduate studies at Columbia University. My mentor was Lawrence A. Cremin, a great historian of education. The resulting book was a history of the New York City public schools, called "The Great School Wars," published in 1974. I received my Ph.D. in the history of American education in 1975. In 1977, I wrote "The Revisionists Revised." In 1983 came "The Troubled Crusade." In 1985, "The Schools We Deserve." In 1987, with my friend Checker Finn, "What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know?" In 1991, "The American Reader." In 1995, "National Standards in American Education." In 2000, "Left Back." In 2003, "The Language Police." In 2006, "The English Reader," with my son Michael Ravitch. Also in 2006, "Edspeak." I have also edited several books with Joseph Viteritti.
I am very excited about my latest book: "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education." It has received wide attention because it speaks to the most important education issues of our time. I hope it will change the national conversation about school reform and encourage people to recognize how difficult it is to build and sustain good schools. Those who read the book should be inspired to thank a teacher for the hard and important work they do every day.
To learn more about my speaking events and to see reviews of "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," visit my webpage at www.dianeravitch.com. The webpage also contains a choice selection from the hundreds of letters I have received from readers.
Diane Ravitch
