The Logic of Teaching to the Bubble Kids

In a recent issue of the Phi Delta Kappan, Jennifer Booher-Jennings documents the practice of focusing instuctional time and effort on students who are on the verge of passing state standaridized tests. She refers to this practice, often called "teaching to the bubble kids," as “educational triage” and notes that it has become increasingly widespread in response to accountability systems and has been documented in Texas, Chicago, California, Philadelphia, New York, and England.

"Data-driven assessments" such as those administered at Edison schools and an ever-increasing number of other public schools lead quite logically to the phenomenon of "educational triage," i.e., teaching to the bubble kids.

But in defense of the schools that engage in “data-driven assessment,” I would argue that their approach is not indicative of the school avoiding accountability, shirking its role, and looking for wiggle room. In fact, such an approach is both efficient and logical under NCLB's terms and conditions that determine what "efficient" and "logical" are. It actually shows how well schools follow orders and how well they do their (new) job. In the same manner, the so-called "freedom" that NCLB offers states in devising their own methods of assessment is completely misleading and utterly disingenous, given that the law is under-funded and does not give states the funds to develop, administer, and score anything but multiple-choice tests (multiple-choice tests are a lot cheaper to develop, administer, and score).

Public schools, including public schools run by Edison and other for-profit companies, are doing exactly what they are told, are towing the party line, and are doing what is logical and efficient under NCLB. Cutting social studies and other non-tested subjects is also logical and efficient under the logic that defines NCLB.