Harry Feder

If there's one thing I've learned about school reform, it's that whatever aspect of schooling you care most about, whatever, um, subject area or age range or type of teaching you really want to improve, the prospects for effecting that improvement are very low as long as the outcome, the success, is measured by test scores.

Why is this true? Why are standardized exams such lousy indicators of achievement? Why are they still the coin of the realm despite all the evidence we have that they're not just flawed but damaging? And how else can we know that students are learning well and teachers are teaching well? To answer those questions, I sought out Harry Feder, who stopped practicing law to teach public high school in New York City, which he did for more than 20 years.

In fact, he taught at a couple of schools that are known for their use of authentic assessment, tapping students' understanding using strategies that are practical alternatives to standardized testing.

They're more than practical alternatives.

They're far superior to it in, in what they tell us.

Anyway, for the last few years, Harry has been the executive director of FairTest, which is the country's leading critical voice on just this issue.

So a careful look with Harry Feder at what's wrong with standardized testing today on "Cohen Zone." I'm Alfie Cohen.

[upbeat music] Harry, welcome and thanks for, uh, thanks for joining today.