Vendors Address Widening Achievement Gap
by Matt Stein

Despite the billions of federal dollars that have been poured into education in the U.S. since the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA), there is a still widening gap between the achievement levels of students, which generally occurs along the lines of socioeconomic status. In an effort to close the achievement gaps among students across the country, the federal government in 2001 passed the reauthorization of the ESEA, “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB). The legislation was intended to spark sweeping changes to federal educational funding and accountability measures by putting the pressure of raising student achievement squarely on the backs of state, district, and school administrators. While the government’s efforts have been lauded as a positive step towards reforming the U.S. educational system, many state and local educators, on whom the majority of the burden of accountability falls, have been left without the tools and/or guidelines to achieve compliance with the ESEA.

Recognizing educators’ need for tools to address the ESEA, companies within the education space have stepped forward with innovative products and solutions, ranging from student information systems to assessments to curricula. Many vendors are now claiming that their products are “NCLB solutions.” However, it is still unclear which vendor solutions will truly assist educators in closing achievement gaps. Beyond stamping a self-selected seal of approval on their products, it will be increasingly important for vendors to provide tools that allow educators to address student achievement at the classroom level and on a student-by-student basis.

A number of companies have developed products that can provide immediate and continuous feedback in order to diagnose students’ comprehension immediately and adjust instruction and course materials accordingly. Among them are Carnegie Learning’s Cognitive Tutor, eLearning Dynamics platform LearnTrac, Scantron’s Classroom Wizard, Texas Instruments’ TI-Navigator, and LearnStar’s software solution. Many teachers, though, may be wary of incorporating such comprehensive technologies into their classrooms. It will be incumbent upon the providers of these new technologies to validate the impact of their products on student achievement. And, in order to accelerate growth, vendors will need to add substance to their own ESEA solutions marketing message.#

Reprinted with permission from The Education Economy No.132, published by Eduventures, Inc.

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