The piece is copyrighted, and the Financial Times has chosen to limit
access -- as is their right. I think it's important to honor that --
especially when it comes to releasing someone's work into cyberspace without
permission. Sorry if that comes off as Boy Scout.
I can offer a few snippets:
* Both reports criticised the practice of offering earnings guidance and
urged corporate leaders to conduct more grown-up, substantial conversations
with their shareholders about the long-term aims of their businesses
* Managers who place so much faith in dodgy forecasts are fundamentally
misunderstanding how organizations really work...
* But surely measurement is everything in business? `What gets measured
get managed,' runs the old saw. Yes -- and what gets managed gets
manipulated. Targets distort people's behaviour, and rarely, in the long
term, for the good.
What the piece does, in my opinion, is nicely summarize the business case
AGAINST metrics and targets used blindly like a hammer -- and by inferred
connection, high stakes testing. which is being used blindly like a sledge
hammer -- in a way that will help teachers understand that the so-called
business case for praying to measurement (measurement mania) is fiction.
Businesses don't do it, either -- or if they do, their performance slips.
In education, there is a strong sense of being under seige from business --
from an imposed regimen of testing, pushed by the bottom line mentality of
business leaders in our country. So I thought it would be helpful for you
to read what business thinks of measurement. As in education, the opinion
is far from one-sided. Businesses struggle with measurement in many of the
same ways, and with much of the same passion, as do educators. The moment
you can see this, you are empowered to counter what has been presented by
some in the US as a compelling and irrefutable business case for high stakes
testing. To say that such measurement makes sense from a business
perspective is hogwash -- and that comes from a business columnist. So you
are not alone. Business doesn't thrive under high stakes measurement, any
more than does education. So the larger point is, you are in good company.
You have more friends than you think.
There are three ways to get to the piece. For the first two, you'll need to
be a subscriber, or you'll need to sign up for the free trial:
1. Direct link:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/351ec946-392b-11dc-ab48-779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F351ec946-392b-11dc-ab48-779fd2ac.html_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fbusinesslife%2Fmanagement
2. Go to http://www.ft.com About halfway down the left column menu, you'll
find Business Life. Rollover that and a submenu will open. Click on
Management. As of this posting, the article is the first one that comes
up in the main window, but if not just look for any column by Stefan Stern
and click on More from this columnist. When you get to the article
opener, you'll be given an opportunity to sign up for a free 15 day trial.
To read the piece, you need to sign up.
3. Go to your local library. It's free there.
Dave Middlebrook
The Textmapping Project
A resource for teachers improving reading comprehension skills instruction.
www.textmapping.org | Please share this site with your colleagues!
USA: (609) 771-1781
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Original Message -
From: Beverlee Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:31 AM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] I wonder
I also was unable to access article.
Also was not able to get into the FT article. Is
there anyway you can copy and send the article.
Education (public and private) is a Huge pot of money
ready for the taking!!
thanks
olga
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