California scores on NAEP

Title:
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress Three Decades of Student Performance in Reading and Mathematics:

A LOOK AT CALIFORNIA SCORES.

Available at:

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/profile.asp

One can only conclude that California scores have improved in Math at the 4th. grade level but not at the 8th. grade.
There has been no improvement in reading at the 4th. or 8th. grade level since 1998.
These are the years in which rigid, “teacher proof” reading programs were used.
Open Court and Houghton Mifflin.

Scale Score
Achievement Level

Now, lets see. These are the years when the current educational leaders in the state proclaimed that their form of school reform was working. Testing and Accountability driven reform, with few or no additional funds was the mantra of the Right. And, almost all the politicians accepted this view. Teachers were to teach the material as written- not by teachers-. There was no room for teacher professional decision making.

See, Why is Corporate America Bashing Our Schools? This blog.

Pundits Daniel Weintraub and Jill Steward are both certain that these control mechanisms will improve schooling.
Well- the scores do not show it. So, I wonder what their evidence is?