Stanford University's Hoover Institution names this year's best and worst in American education

It's that time of the year again when the Hoover Institution's Koret Task Force on K-12 Education at Stanford University releases its annual Best and Worst in American Education list. One of the 2010 happenings in education that made the best category was the national release of films and documentaries that highlight the issues plaguing U.S. schools, like "Waiting for Superman," "The Lottery" and "The Cartel." Also falling in the best category were the ratification of the Washington, D.C. teachers' union contract and the publishing of teacher evaluations based on test scores by the Los Angeles Times. The best section also includes the Institute of Education Science's release of the report "Achievement Effects of Four Early Elementary School Math Curricula: Findings for First and Second Graders", about which the list's authors say, "The first of these path-breaking and methodologically sophisticated IES studies shows that curriculum matters at least as much as higher-profile reforms. Sadly, the second study shows that it is extremely difficult to improve teacher performance via professional development and raises the possibility that most current efforts of that sort are a waste of time and money."

One moment in time in this year's tally of the best and worst in American education was placed in both categories: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan's Race to the Top campaign. Duncan's Race to the Top initiative, which pitted states against one another in a competition for federal education dollars, was lauded for encouraging school districts to make policy changes in hopes of making the list, but was lambasted for its questionable picks for winners. According to the report, the fact that Delaware and Tennessee made it the first round coupled some other choices, turned a great opportunity into one that has raised eyebrows: "[With] the inclusion of undeserving states in round two, as well as rejection of two outstanding applicants (Louisiana and Colorado), the Obama administration disappointed those who believed that the president truly places children ahead of unions and politics. At least three winners were absurd choices (Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio). The selection process rewarded a teachers’ union 'buy in,' a recipe for maintaining the status quo."

Some of the other more lackluster parts of the year in education, according to the list, include Adrian Fenty's loss in the primary in the race for Washington, D.C. mayor and Michele Rhee leaving her position as the city's Schools Chancellor shortly thereafter; Florida Governor Charlie Crist's veto of the state's tenure bill; and the end of Washington, D.C.'s Opportunity Scholarship Program.

The list's authors also lamented on the fact that majority of the U.S. stimulus funds allocated for education went towards preserving teacher jobs and current programs. "About 80 percent of the administration’s $100 billion education stimulus money went to avert teacher layoffs and continue existing programs without regard to their effectiveness and with no hint of school improvement," the list noted. "The $10 billion EduJobs bill did more of the same. Such spending rewarded schools for inefficiency at an enormous cost in dollars and missed opportunities."

Overall, the list's authors say their observations provide a pretty authentic look at the highs and lows of the happenings in U.S. education this year.

“This was an amazing year for education full of thrills and spills, solid achievements and big blunders," Koret Task Force chairman Chester E. Finn, Jr. said in a press release. "We hope that 2011 brings many more of the former and far fewer of the latter.”