Education Book Reviews

Popham, W. James (2004) America’s “Failing” Schools: How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

The question faced by many librarians probably will not be whether to purchase America’s “Failing” Schools: How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind, but how many copies to purchase. The author, James Popham, is a recognized authority in the field of educational assessment and has written over 25 books. Popham has produced a highly readable account of the issues facing both the educators who must respond to the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind legislation and the parents who now may have the option of transferring their children to other schools.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section explains the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and some of the rationale behind it. Popham’s explanation is remarkably fair. He admits that he sees the current heavy-handed approach as at least in part the federal government’s reaction to the “failure avoidance tactics” employed by states in the past. He also writes that “If NCLB is properly implemented, I believe it can lead to a far better education for our nation’s children” (p. 44). That if, however, is the operative word, and much of the book addresses possible pitfalls.

One of the main problems Popham notes is the misuse of standardized tests. In the second section, “Some Nuts and Bolts of Educational Testing,” he explains the concepts used in educational testing in a remarkably lucid and understandable way. He writes that “…educational testing is far less precise than most parents (and numerous educators) think it is” (p. 54). He points out that the high-stakes educational tests now being used, although good tests, are frequently inappropriate for what the are being used for, noting that “...they were never intended to be used to evaluate schools, and they just can’t do that properly” (p. 67). The problem goes beyond inappropriate use, however. Popham does not speak favorably of the enormous number of content standards that teachers in most states now must address and uses the term “mushy” when describing many standards-based tests. However, he also writes that “…standards-based tests can work if they are deliberately constructed in a way that both supplies accurate accountability information for school evaluation and, at the same time, helps teachers do a better instructional job” (p. 82).

The third section, where Popham makes suggestions about how best to evaluate schools, is what truly distinguishes this book from other works about NCLB. He suggests that evaluations of school quality should include, but not be limited to, standardized test scores. He recommends that a valid evaluation also should include students’ work samples, nontest academic indicators, and affective data (p. 102). The conclusion of the book includes specific suggestions for educators, parents, and concerned citizens.

I think that the audience for this book should include policy makers. Popham writes compellingly and with the voice of reason. As was noted earlier in this review, he is very even-handed in his approach. Legislators are given credit for good intentions, and Popham’s approach is to advocate improving a flawed system, not simply to condemn it. Although he makes his concerns about NCLB extremely clear, his tone does not become shrill or condescending, nor does he over utilize professional terminology or jargon.

America’s “Failing” Schools was selected by the College of Education on my campus as the choice for a book discussion. The discussion was well attended and the book was extremely well received. The fact that it garnered considerable praise was probably predictable. Most of the educators I know are highly critical of NCLB, and they are justifiably concerned about its implications and implementation. One concern expressed by the faculty was that Popham did not adequately explain the impact or role of special needs children. Certainly, there are numerous questions yet to be answered about how special education students fit into NCLB, and this will probably be an area where we can expect challenges to the legislation. The question asked by one emeritus professor lingers in my mind. He asked whether we felt that Popham really addressed how to legitimize the rather complex model that he proposes be used in evaluating schools. I am not sure that he did, or that any model utilizing “affective” data would not be viewed as mushy (to use Popham’s term) by legislators. Legitimizing an alternative model is probably the real issue that we as educators ultimately must be able to address if we are to avoid the narrow measurements placed upon us by legislation such as NCLB.

Both academic and public libraries should consider this book a necessary purchase.

References

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-110. Accessed December 6, 2004 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html

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Pages: 157     Price: $23.00     ISBN: 0-415-94947-5

Reviewed by Sharon Naylor, Illinois State University

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