Locally: New state standards

When the testing culture is criticized, proponents say that critics don't support high standards/achievement. That's a BS argument and most realize it.

Here is why the fed's should leave the states alone and the states should give more power to local districts.

The rule changes announced yesterday also will help the 436 schools and 125 school districts that did not make "adequate yearly progress," or AYP, last year. If they didn't make the goals again this year, they would have been flagged as needing improvement and been required to change. All but five Puget Sound school districts failed to meet progress targets last year.

"It buys us some time to get some strong systemic changes in our schools and districts," Mary Alice Heuschel, deputy superintendent with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) said yesterday.

But it will be difficult to determine how much of a school's improvement might be due to its own effort or to the policy changes.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics.