Why Gene V. Glass quits the field of measurement

Gene V. Glass (1940) is a world famous researcher of education. His field for many decades was measurement. But in this post, he explains that he is resigning from his field.

Gene V. Glass
Gene V. Glass

“The degrading of public education has involved impugning its effectiveness, cutting its budget, and busting its unions. Educational measurement has been the perfect tool for accomplishing all three: cheap and scientific looking”

“Teachers and many parents understand that children’s development is far too complex to capture with an hour or two taking a standardized test. So resistance has been met with legislated mandates. The test company lobbyists convince politicians that grading teachers and schools is as easy as grading cuts of meat. A huge publishing company from the UK has spent $8 million in the past decade lobbying Congress. Politicians believe that testing must be the cornerstone of any education policy.

“The results of this cronyism between corporations and politicians have been chaotic. Parents see the stress placed on their children and report them sick on test day. Educators, under pressure they see as illegitimate, break the rules imposed on them by governments. Many teachers put their best judgment and best lessons aside and drill children on how to score high on multiple-choice tests. And too many of the best teachers exit the profession.

“When measurement became the instrument of accountability, testing companies prospered and schools suffered. I have watched this happen for several years now. I have slowly withdrawn my intellectual commitment to the field of measurement. Recently I asked my dean to switch my affiliation from the measurement program to the policy program. I am no longer comfortable being associated with the discipline of educational measurement.”

The State of Education in the Netherlands 2013/2014

The Dutch Inspectorate of Education reports yearly about the state of education. The education report ‘The State of Education 2013/2014’ outlines developments and key themes in Dutch education. The first chapter is a summary that reflects on major developments and facets of education that are in need of improvement.

This summary is published in English with the aim of making the information accessible for an international audience. In addition, information about the Inspectorate and the Dutch educational system is provided.

The state of education in the Netherlands