Changes in Accountability

The Associated Press reported early today that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was backing away from the accountability agenda pushed by erstwhile director Spellings. Duncan spoke at a press conference in the small town of Furst, Idaho:

After careful review, we have concluded that the idea of comparing one institution to another with standardized tests is, well, rather silly. Analysis shows that the institutions with the highest reputations correlate well with the highest amount spent per student. We are trying out a metric whereby we rate the educational effectiveness of postsecondary institutions by their gross revenue divided by FTE students. This should provide a level playing field and a fair and unbiased way of comparing institutions. This information will eventually be on a Department website. We invite suggestions and input, of course, but the decision has largely been made. [link]

It remains to be seen how this will be taken by the accreditors and other interested parties. Who knew April could be so exciting?