Below is a list of recent articles looking at Pearson's involvement in the G.E.D. and in education in general. As you read these articles you will see several patterns emerge. The first is that Pearson seems to be making serious inroads into the privatization of education. From purchasing the second largest on-line education system; winning state contracts for all kinds of high stakes testing in the K-12 system for states all across the country; winning state contracts for running state teacher certification; and, of course, merging with the G.E.D. Testing Service and turning the G.E.D., the most widely recognized exam for earning a high school equivalency diploma in the United States, into a for-profit endeavor. The second pattern you will see is one in which Pearson is under investigation by the NY State Attorney General's office for the possible inappropriate "wining and dining" of state education officials; and shows a history of serious testing problems, with everything from computer issues to question selection.
From the New York Times:
"Pearson plc, (Pearson) is an international media and education company with its principal operations in the education, business information and consumer publishing markets. The Company delivers the content in a range of forms and through a variety of channels, including books, newspapers and online services. It offers services, as well as content, from test creation, administration and processing to teacher development and school software. It operates in more than 70 countries worldwide, its major markets are the United States (59% of sales) and Europe (21% of sales). Pearson consists of three worldwide businesses: Pearson Education, The FT Group and The Penguin Group. In April 2011, the Company acquired Schoolnet. In August 2011, the Company acquired Stark Holding from Syntegra Capital. In September 2011, the Company acquired Connections Education. In October 2011, the Company acquired TQ Holdings Ltd. In December 2011, Global Education & Technology Group Ltd merged with Pearson plc."
*GED Revamp Sparks Anxiety, Crain's NY Business.com, August 12, 2012
Common Core Standards Boon to E-Learning Industry, NY Times, August 3, 2012
A Serious Design Flaw is Suspected in State Tests, NY Times, July 28, 2012
Boycott Pearson Now: United Opt Out National - A movement to end corporate education reform.
Big Data on Campus, NY Times, July 18, 2012
Civil Rights Coalition Presses Questions about GED Redesign, Education Week, May 18, 2012
Testing Company Pearson Spending Millions to Influence Schools, Republic Report, May 8, 2012
On Pearson and Pineapplegate: Kids & Future Teachers Challenge Critical Tests, MinnPost, May 8, 2012
*Diane Ravitch: Pearson's Expanding Role in Education, Washington Post, May 7, 2012
Privatized Learning, NY Times, May 7, 2012
*Move to Outsource Teacher Licensing Process Draws Protest, NY Times, May 6, 2012
Pearson Memo Detailing "The Hare and the Pineapple" Passage, Time, May 4, 2012
In Leaked Memo, Pearson Stands Behind "Pineapple" Test Questions, Gotham Schools, May 4, 2012
State Officials Throw Out Another Pearson Test Question, NY Times, May 2, 2012
*A Very Pricey Pineapple, NY Times, April 27, 2012 (An editorial by Gail Collins about Pearson and the privatization of education)
Test Concerns Keep Coming Up, NY Times, April 25, 2012
Facing a Robo-Grader? Just Keep Obfuscating Mellifluously, NY Times, April 22, 2012
When Pineapple Races Hare, Students Lose, Critics of Standardized Tests Say, April 20, 2012
*The GED: Public Good or Private Sector Trove?, City Limits, March 19, 2012
*State May Bypass GED, TimesUnion, February 14, 2012
Pearson to Develop and Support Open Source Tool for Evaluating School Technology and Infrastructure Readiness, PARCC Press Release, January 31, 2012
Free Trips Raises Issues for Officials in Education, NY Times, October 9, 2011
When Free Trips Overlap With Commercial Purposes, NY Times, September 18, 2011
*How Private Companies are Profiting from Texas Public Schools, Texas Observer, September 6, 2011
New York, in Contract with Pearson, Lays Out Rules for State Tests, NY Times, August 12, 2011
* Starred articles are good places to start
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