Advertising Reform

I finally opened my copy of Diplomas Count, an annual publication from Education Week devoted entirely to issues around high school graduation, and I didn't get far before something caught my eye. It wasn't the article on Florida's data system, the piece on ensuring graduation rates mean the same state-to-state, or the map of graduation rates by county. It was the ad on the left.

It's an ad for professional development courses in mathematics, literacy, and school design from an organization called America's Choice. At the bottom of the ad is the part that caught my eye: all these services are available for purchase with American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Title I, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds. According to its Web site, it produces "remarkable results" "improving test scores" and "helping students build confidence." What's disturbing is the thought that a state or district out there would see this ad, read that "evidence," and then purchase America's Choice products with stimulus money intended for preserving teaching jobs and fomenting reform.

Update: A commenter suggested my "attack" on America's Choice was over the line. That was not my intent. My problems are with the ad itself and a system where states and districts spend public monies on products that are advertised but whose effectiveness has been shown only through less-than-rigorous research.