As recent SAT scandals have shown, machine-graded multiple-choice exams have their drawbacks. Michael Winerip writes that ETS failed over 4,000 teachers in a licensing test who had actually passed.
The costs of giving essay exams are not anticipated in NCLB, but Connecticut has gone ahead with them anyway. They've been given no extra leeway under the law by Secretary Spellings, who suggests they go back to multiple choice.
Every teacher knows that writing can tell you more about a kid than A, B, C, or D. But that hasn't occurred to Secretary Spellings, who, like her predecessor, has no educational experience whatsoever.
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