by Justice Matters with support from DataCenter
October 2007
In an era of high-stakes testing, there are policies and practices in West Contra Costa Unified School District that result in a narrow, unresponsive, and superficial education for thousands of low-income students of color. Behind the Test Scores: Teaching and Learning Under Arrest reports on a survey of West Contra Costa teachers. The survey results reveal discriminatory practices that shape which students receive extra attention and which do not; classrooms stripped of science, history, art, and P.E.; and schools that fail to prepare students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. This teaching and learning crisis students are facing is due to a climate that emphasizes test scores over high quality learning that prepares students for their futures.
full report 21 pages, PDF, requires free Adobe Acrobat®Reader.