In July 2001 I wrote decrying the over-reliance on high-stakes testing as a means of evaluating students, teachers, and schools (1). Eight years later, the situation has not changed for the better. It is worthwhile to revisit the issues raised at that time and make a few more comments.
The strong emphasis on testing seems to […]

It is said that virtue is its own reward. The earliest statement is, “Ipsa quidem virtus sibimet pulcherrima merces” [Virtue herself is her own fairest reward] (1). Is learning in the same category? Should it be?There is considerable debate on the subject (2).
Many economists and business people argue that students will work harder and learn […]

The dictionary definition of science begins something like this: The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. Notice that all the nouns are derived from verbs: observe, identify, describe, investigate, and explain. This implies strongly that science is more a process than a body of knowledge. Only later do we find: […]

You might think it right up to date if this editorial began, “All the oratory and publicity aside, the American public and government remain unwilling to face up squarely to the energy problems that are upon us, and to the resulting constraints on living and productivity that they portend.” That’s too bad, because these words […]

by Mary M. Kirchhoff and Richard N. Zare
What can a professional society with 160,000 members do that can have a special, transformative effect on education in the United States? That is the question posed by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Board of Directors to the newly created Board-Presidential Task Force on Education. The Task Force […]

My aim is to create a supportive learning community, one that empowers students to succeed at their own pace.

Education [is] an investment in human capital–an investment that has paid off handsomely . . . for our entire socidty.

One trillion dollars. That’s a lot of money. It’s what the U.S. government is likely to spend to shore up (bail out) financial institutions that got into trouble through their own excesses. European governments are likely to spend a similar amount in a similar cause. It is also what we owe to China in the […]

If you had free online access to all of the content of this Journal, would you pay for a subscription? Think about this for a moment before reading on.
I might. I like to page through the printed copy. I appreciate the care the editorial staff has taken to juxtapose related articles and the opportunity for […]

The Web is a powerful tool. Like all powerful tools it can be used for good, for not-so-good, and for downright bad purposes. Examples of the last surface every so often, such as false biographical information planted in Wikipedia (1) and destruction of a reputation and job by a Web-based campaign of exaggerated accusations (2). […]