The Fallacy in Commissioner Morath’s Argument that All Kids Can Pass STAAR
Last week Texas Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath, again stated his belief that all students can pass each STAAR test and therefore all students and all schools can be successful within the accountability program he is designing. His argument is this: STAAR is a criterion-referenced test, not a norm-referenced test, and thus all kids can pass it. When a friend of mine in attendance questioned this, Commissioner Morath acknowledged some superintendents did not believe this was the case and declared it a “difference of opinion.” When it comes to the world of educational testing and educational accountability, I’m something of a testing and accountability expert. I’ve worked in that world for the better part of my career. I’ve written a book and a number of articles specifically about what such tests were designed to do (which is far more limited than most people think). I’ve read a ton by others way smarter than me on the subject whose work has helped inform my understandings, and...