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00000176-e6f7-dce8-adff-f6f7707e000090.5 WESA's Life of Learning series focuses on learning and education activities, opportunities and challenges in the Greater Pittsburgh area.This multi-year commitment to providing learning-focused news coverage in southwestern Pennsylvania is made possible by a generous grant from the Grable Foundation.

Standardized Testing, Academic Success, and How a Local School Is Getting It Right

Standardized: Lies, Money & Civil Rights

Dan Hornberger has been a high school English teacher for more than twenty years. During these years, his concerns regarding schools teaching to standardized tests spurred him to action.

The result is a documentary titled Standardized: Lies, Money & Civil Rights which he produced and co-directed.

“The test scores mean nothing, they really don’t... no one will ask these kids about their Keystone exams or their PSSAs in the future. A test is supposed to measure what a kid knows and a test is supposed to be a tool that a kid can learn from.”

Watch the trailerfor Standardized: Lies, Money & Civil Rights:

http://youtu.be/taCF9IF_0Tc

What listeners had to say about this topic on Twitter:

How Hampton High School is getting education right.

Harrisburg Patriot News recently featured Hampton High School in a series on education. It’s only one of three schools statewide consistently performing well in math and science.

Hampton High Principal Jeffrey Finch said he understands the school is just part of the system created by the entire community. Because of this system, the students' mindset is to expect success and it's a major reason for their success.

“It’s balance with a focus on the big purpose of school in general," Finch explained "And that is to provide a quality, holistic program that focuses on a student’s ability to grow in an educational system, that builds retention for the things we spend time on.”