THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010


KLMNO D.C. testing could cover all grades


Rhee faces criticism for plan to expand assessment exams


by Bill Turque


D.C. Schools Chancellor Mi- chelle A. Rhee plans to signifi- cantly expand the use of stan- dardized tests so that, eventually, every D.C. student from kinder- garten through high school is regularly assessed to measure academic progress and the effec- tiveness of teachers. The plan, to be phased in be- ginning in the spring, is certain to reignite debate about what some D.C. parents and teachers already regard as a test-happy culture. The federal No Child Left Be-


hind law requires that all public school students in grades three through eight be tested annually for reading and math proficien- cy; high school students are re- quired to be tested once. Every April, the District administers the DC Comprehensive Assess- ment System (DC CAS). Students in grades five and eight and in high school also get DC CAS sci- ence or biology tests. Four times a year, students in grades three through 10 take the DC Bench- mark Assessment System (DC BAS) to track progress. Children in kindergarten through third grade receive DIBELS (Dynamic


Indicators of Basic Early Litera- cy). And, every two years, fourth- and eighth-graders take the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) in math and reading. Some experts say the District’s testing calendar is relatively light compared with those of other states, including Maryland and Virginia. “What D.C. has in place right now is the minimum testing required by the feds,” said Chris- topher Swanson, director of the publication Education Week’s re- search center. The additional tests would cov- er English language arts and math in kindergarten through second grade, math “pretesting” in third grade before the DC CAS, social studies and science in grades six through eight and core subjects in high school. Officials said none of the high school exams would be high-stakes tests for students, in the manner of the Maryland High School Assess- ments, a set of exams in English, algebra, biology and government that seniors must pass to gradu- ate. Tests would be given about ev-


ery six to eight weeks and at the end of the year, allowing teachers to identify student weaknesses and adjust classroom strategies. Administrators would also be better able to spot shortcomings in teaching, officials said. “It’s been a priority for a long


time,” said Rhee, who is prepar- ing to ask outside firms to submit


proposals for developing the tests. “We want to have a much more robust set of assessments, not just in math and reading, but different subjects. As a parent, I want to know on a regular basis how my kids are progressing or not, and have my teachers take a pulse not once a year or four times a year.” School officials declined to dis-


cuss the potential cost of the ex- panded testing before negotiat- ing with vendors.


Rhee, who frequently talks up


the virtues of “data-driven” deci- sions, also wants more testing data to expand the reach of the school system’s IMPACT teacher evaluation system. As it stands, only reading and math teachers in grades four through eight — fewer than 20 percent of the Dis- trict’s 3,800 classroom instruc- tors — can be assessed on the ba- sis of growth in test scores. Stu- dent “value-added” will account for half of their annual evalua- tion. Educators with low IMPACT scores — the rest of the appraisal is based on a series of five class- room observations and other cri- teria — can face dismissal. The new performance pay sys- tem included in the recently rat- ified teachers’ contract begins in the fall and also relies in part on test scores, with the biggest bo- nuses available to teachers who can show growth in student achievement.


Some parents and teachers say that the fixation on tests is suck-


ing the oxygen from basic class- room instruction and other activ- ities that enrich school life, such as field trips. “They’re not learning when


they’re taking a test,” said Mary Melchior, a parent leader at Langdon Education Campus in Northeast, who added that test preparation and testing periods should not count against the 180 legally required days of school. “You’re effectively reducing the number of days that kids have in the classroom.” Crystal Sylvia, a social worker


at Bruce Monroe Elementary, called her school a “test factory” in a recent essay. During DC CAS and DC BAS periods, an “all- hands-on-deck approach para- lyzes the school so that no other important issues or responsibili- ties can be appropriately ad- dressed,” she said. Erin McGoldrick, Rhee’s chief


of data and accountability, rejects the testing-vs.-instruction argu- ment as false. She said assess- ments, when used properly, can only improve teaching. “I see assessment as not differ- ent from instruction,” she said. “I see it as core to good instruction. Assessment gives you informa- tion to use in instruction.” Rhee said: “I think testing gets


a bad rap sometimes. Consistent- ly assessing our kids is going to lead to more information about what they are learning and mas- tering and what they are not.” turqueb@washpost.com


False information on disclosure forms harrington from B1


ducted such business herself. After being directed to state


records confirming that she was a registered lobbyist for the firm in 2005, he sent another e-mail say- ing that he had been advised by the county’s Office of Law to amend the forms to reflect his wife’s employment and that he would do so by the end of the week. Cheryl Harrington referred questions about the forms to her husband. A county spokeswoman confirmed that she is now a coun- ty contractor coordinating 2010 census activities for Prince George’s. Robert Hahn, executive direc- tor of the Maryland State Ethics Commission, declined to com- ment on the specifics of Harring- ton’s disclosure forms, citing agency policy. Calls to the Prince George’s County Board of Ethics were not returned. Ramirez de- clined to comment. Harrington also failed to dis- close an income source that was required to be reported. On state forms for the 2008 and 2009 re- porting periods, he listed one of his houses in the 5100 block of Varnum Street in Bladensburg as his “home residence.” But a wom- an who lives next door to the house and a man who claims he was Harrington’s former tenant said the senator has been renting out the property for years. Instructions supplied by the


ethics commission state that “in- come-producing real property” must be declared. “I would say that includes rent,”


Hahn said of the rule. In an e-mail Wednesday, after being questioned by The Post, Harrington said that he had spo- ken with ethics officials and was told the income was required to be listed and that he would be “submitting an amendment” to correct the omission, but did not specify for which years. He said William Somerville,


ethics counsel for the Maryland General Assembly, initially told him the rent did not need to be declared, so he thought he was in compliance. When interviewed, Somerville said he deferred to the state ethics commission on what the rule mandated. Harrington also repeatedly


gave erroneous or incomplete statements about the nature of his debts, the records show. On one county form, he reported that a property he owned in 2008 on Wayne Place in Cheverly had a mortgage balance of $130,000, when the balance was more than $200,000 at that time, land rec- ords show. On state disclosure forms for 2007, 2008 and 2009, he listed the name of a company that held one of his mortgages but then answered “N/A” to several follow-up questions about when the debt was incurred, the inter- est rate and the amount of debt remaining at the end of the re- porting period. In a 2005 county form, Harring- ton listed a balance of $250,000 for a mortgage on one of his prop- erties, more than $10,000 short of the actual debt, according to land records. On state forms for 2007, 2008 and 2009, he said he “solely”


S


B5


FAA sends experts to review safety rules


at air traffic center Facility has recorded 22 potentially


dangerous mistakes by Ashley Halsey III


The Federal Aviation Adminis-


tration on Wednesday sent a team of experts to review procedures at the air traffic control center that directs all flights in the Washing- ton region after the facility re- corded its 22nd potentially dan- gerous mistake last week. With another federal agency —


the National Transportation Safe- ty Board — already investigating mistakes made by air traffic con- trollers nationwide, the FAA told its employees in a conference call this week that it was launching a new effort to make air travel more safe. “This spring we had several close calls that got everybody’s at- tention,” said Robert Tarter, vice president of the FAA’s Office of Safety, in the conference call, “and I think that’s the thing that really keyed us into taking a look at some of the risks, [to] try to iden- tify what we’re missing.” The team was sent after The


Washington Post reported Mon- day about an incident in which a 120-seat United Airlines Airbus 319 narrowly avoided colliding with a 22-seat Gulfstream busi- ness jet June 28. The United flight from Chicago was being guided by an air traffic controller toward a landing at Reagan National Air- port when an onboard collision- avoidance system warned that it was headed for a midair encoun- ter with the Gulfstream under the direction of another controller. The United pilot reported pull-


ing up hard and then seeing the Gulfstream pass just behind him. There had been 21 other in- cidents this year in which planes being directed by controllers at the Warrenton center invaded the air space of other aircraft. FAA regulations require that planes be separated by at least three miles or 1,000 feet in altitude. Among the close calls attribut- ed to controller error were a Con- tinental 737 waiting to land at Na- tional that came within 3,900 feet of a military plane that had taken off from Andrews Air Force Base. In addition, an 80-passenger shuttle jet taking off from Dulles International Airport was turned directly into the path of a com- muter jet on track to land at Na- tional; they continued on that course until onboard collision- avoidance systems went off. A Jet- Blue Airways 150-passenger Air- bus was directed into the path of a Beechcraft charter jet as both were making final approach to Dulles; they passed within about 3,600 feet of each other. The FAA attributes the national increase in the number of errors by controllers to a new approach to reporting that relaxes punitive action against controllers so as to encourage them to report their mistakes. That new policy spells out that controllers should “only rarely be removed” from directing air traffic if they make errors. The FAA said Wednesday that it would hold a meeting of top man- agement and safety experts in Washington on Aug. 17 to address urgent safety problems. An in- ternal FAA safety team is review- ing operations at the Potomac fa- cility to make sure all procedures are being followed properly. halseya@washpost.com


After fire, Cottage City rallies to popular official


Window air conditioner suspected in blaze at commissioner’s house


by Hamil R. Harris MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST State Sen. David Harrington failed to disclose this house in Bladensburg as income-producing property.


David C. Harrington’s financial disclosure forms failed to disclose information on his wife's employment and on part of his income.


On county and state financial disclosure forms, David C. Harrington, now a state senator, failed to disclose information on his wife's employment and on part of his income.


A fire had turned Bill Hall’s home into a charred shell, but even though it was 102 degrees, the 78-year-old Cottage City fix- ture found a folding chair Wednesday and sat out on the sidewalk, accepting gestures of love from scores of friends, neigh- bors and constituents. “I have never had so many peo- ple tell me that they love me,” said Hall, a member of the Cottage City Town Commission, a former president of the Volunteer Fire Department and a participant in Maryland politics for more than three decades. On Tuesday, Prince George’s


On the 2006 county form, Harrington checked “NO” next to a line asking if he or his spouse worked for a company


On the 2006 county form, Harrington checked “NO” next to a line asking if he or his spouse worked for a company that did business with the county. However, according to state records, his wife, Cheryl, worked as a lobbyist with G.S. Proctor and Associates in 2006. The firm’s clients included the Prince George’s County Council that year.


County firefighters were called to Hall’s home in the 3800 block of 40th Avenue about 4 p.m., de- partment spokesman Mark Brady said. He said the fire appears to have been caused by a window air-conditioning unit. Brady said the fire, which caused more than $50,000 in damage, would be the third sparked by a window air condi- tioner in the county in less than two weeks. Hall said he was fortunate to escape the house he has lived in for 42 years.


On the 2009 state form, he listed 5104 Varnum St. in Bladensburg, a house he co-owns, as his “Home Residence.” However, a next-door neighbor and former tenant said Harrington has been renting out the place for years, but he initially did not disclose the house as an income source.


SOURCE: Staff reports


Harrington said that he had spoken with ethics officials and was told the income was required to be listed and that he would be “submitting an amendment.”


owned two properties in Cheverly and Bladensburg, when he co- owns them with his wife. In an e-mail, Harrington said information on his mortgages was entered, “to the best of my ability.” He said that he listed his wife as a co-owner of the properties on county forms and that any failure to do so on state forms was “an oversight” that he would correct through amendments if neces- sary. Herminio Muniz of Hyattsville said he rented the Varnum Street


house about five years ago. He said he paid Harrington rent but did not recall how much, and he praised Harrington for providing a place for him and his family to live after he had fallen on hard times.


Sandra Chicas, who has lived


next door to the Varnum Street house for the past decade, said David Harrington has rented the place to several tenants in recent years. “He used to live here for a long time,” Chicas said of Harrington.


THE WASHINGTON POST on washingtonpost.com


Md. state senator’s financial disclosures


View financial disclosures by Sen. David C.


Harrington (D-Prince George’s) dating to 2005 and see annotated areas where, according to a Post review, his information was false or incomplete. At postlocal.com.


“He moved a long time ago.” Today, the stone faced house is


vacant, Chicas said. A Harrington campaign sign is fastened to a chain-link fence on the front lawn.


mummoloj@washpost.com


Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.


“I fell asleep, and I woke up smelling smoke, and then sud- denly my smoke alarm went off,” Hall said. Hall said his dog, Sandy, nor- mally naps with him, but the ani- mal was across the street, playing with children in a park. Hall said that he saw flames shooting from the air conditioner and that they spread quickly to the curtains. “At first, I was going to get a pot


of water to put the fire out,” he said, “and then I thought, ‘No, dummy, you aren’t a firefighter — get out.’ ” While Hall was leaving the house, he said, a neighbor rushed inside and retrieved the keys to his van, an act that moved him. As Hall talked, Graciella Scott, who lives two doors away, rushed up and hugged him and a daugh- ter and son of his. “Mr. Hall has always been there,” Scott said. “He is really there for the senior citizens, and we really want him to stay in this community.”


Hall’s house is about 100 yards from the Cottage City Town Hall, where he has served the commu- nity of about 1,130 people for the past 19 years. His fence is lined with campaign signs for the coun- ty elections, and a sign outside his front door reads, “Notary Public.” “Community is very important to me. I know everybody on the block, and everybody knows me,” Hall said. He pointed to homes and called out names. Then he starting to list some of his past and current projects, which included repair- ing sidewalks, fixing gutters, planting trees and restoring the old Cottage City firehouse. Capt. David Ladd, a member of


the New Carrollton police, was one of the many people who


“Community is very important to me. I know everybody on the block, and everybody knows


me.” — Bill Hall,


Cottage City commissioner


stopped by to check on Hall. “I used to work in the Cottage City Police Department,” Ladd said. “Bill Hall has always been a help, not just to Cottage City but to everybody in Prince George’s County.” Hall was upbeat, even though


the fire left him with little more than the T-shirt, shorts, white socks and flip-flops that he had on. When his son told him that municipal officials in the area were organizing a spaghetti din- ner on his behalf, Hall snapped: “What? I don’t need that!” Stoicism, however, gave way to tears as he talked about losing items that belonged to his late wife. “My wife died in that house. It is very devastating. . . . I had to take my daughter to school and do things that I had never done before.” Kathy Gilbert, one of Hall’s six children, said she will take care of her father until his house can be repaired or he finds a new home. “One of his main concerns is to find a place in Cottage City so that he can be close to the communi- ty,” she said.


harrish@washpost.com You, too, could have home delivery. 1-800-753-POST SF


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