DC Schools Using Pep Rallies, Cash Incentives To Prepare For Assessments

The Washington Post (4/25, Brown) reports on a "pep rally" at Savoy Elementary in Washington, DC, at which "cheerleaders cheered, students in school T-shirts chanted and the principal gave a go-get-'em speech" to prepare for the DC Comprehensive Assessment System. The Post describes the controversy surrounding the test, including cheating and teacher evaluations, and notes that educators, "under great pressure to raise test scores, are finding creative ways to inspire students to show up and take the exam seriously." Moreover, some schools are vowing to sanction students who don't show up.