Standardized tests are supposed to measure, in a fair and consistent way, what students have learned. But how do we know what these students have learned? The tests are supposed to measure the effectiveness of teaching strategies. We don’t know how effective the teaching in these classes was. The tests are supposed to tell the public, which pays for schools, how those schools are performing. Frontier Centre in the media, from The Windsor Star.
Media Appearances
Test Often, Raise Standards, Manitoba Educator Urges
“Zwaagstra believes that curriculum content isn’t specific enough, academic standards in schools are not strong enough and that schools shouldn’t possess a no-fail policy. He went on to say that our school system has an anti-testing bias and that there isn’t a balance of standardized testing and teacher-created assessment.”
Corporate Welfare Unrepaid, Bureaucrats Unrepentent
So where does this leave Canadian taxpayers? Playing angel investor to businesses that don’t pay back money, while bureaucrats crow about their “success” – and the government turns a blind eye.
Look What’s Coming Down The Road
Noting that traffic congestion is costing the Canadian economy billions, the report asserts that building more road capacity is not the answer, as it often promotes more traffic: “Accurate transport pricing aims to ensure that people face the true costs of their travel decisions.”
Featured News
Profile Series: Arthur Laffer
“Government spending is taxation. When you look at this, I’ve never heard of a poor person spending himself into prosperity; let alone I’ve never heard of a poor person taxing himself into prosperity.” Arthur Betz “Art” Laff er is one of the world’s most renowned...
Even After Banning Crypto, Does Communist China Have Greater Faith in Crypto Than the West?
Canadian and British regulators are on an entirely different wavelength to a significant portion of the cryptocurrency market and industry, implementing new regulations and casting doubt on the future of decentralized digital currencies. It comes at a time when China...
Manitoba’s Tax Cuts Lag: Report
Manitoba’s modest tax cuts in recent years pale in comparison with other western provinces and neighbouring states, according to a report released yesterday by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Falling Further Behind
The Doer government should spend more time on serious economic issues like this and less time on bogus marketing exercises like the “Spirited Energy” campaign if it truly wants to make Manitoba a better place to live.
Group Rates Manitoba First Nations
The authors of a new study ranking First Nation governments in areas such as human rights and transparency, say they hope their findings will encourage those who scored near the bottom to become more accountable.
Left Punch
There have been many tributes, cards, e-mails and visits that Harry has received since we all learned about his illness. One comment that I remember reading is that labelling Harry as an "activist" is limiting his potential as a human being. I beg to differ. To me, an...
Secrecy criticized
The activities of band councils on many Manitoba reserves are hidden behind a veil of secrecy, says the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
The Frontier Centre, a privately funded think-tank with offices in Winnipeg, has ranked all but four of Manitoba’s 63 First Nations on how well they govern.
New Urbanists Offer Disaster Relief
IF you survived Katrina but your house didn't, you might today be living on your lot in a trailer provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). However ignominious, even trashy, these 300 square-foot rectangles on wheels might look, they do offer...
Freeing the Farmers
If you've never heard the old folk tale about the Wild Hogs of Horseshoe Bend, just get Rolf Penner started on farming subsidies. The hog and grain producer from Morris, Man., loves to tell the story of how a clever farmer was able to pen a group of feral pigs by...
Leave Christopher Hitchens Alone
Christopher Hitchens emerges from the CBC building in the 500 block of Winnipeg's Portage Avenue, squints into the bright mid-afternoon sky, spots a break in the traffic and launches himself into the street. He gallops across four momentarily deserted lanes of the...
Leveraging Freedom Awards Around the World
As the Templeton Freedom Awards enter their third year, the innovative program is yielding dividends far greater than just rewarding effective work by think tanks worldwide. Winners and program administrators alike speak of strategically leveraging the Awards’ impact,...