I’m not familiar with Wagner’s work all that much and while according to you his attempts to find compelling research appears weak at best, I’m wondering if you have any research to contradict his claims about the necessary skills needed today?

Also you say, “And without testing, how can we figure out what our students know, and which programs successfully teach them?” I would challenge the purpose and type of testing. In most cases, these tests are pencil paper tests done largely to rank students, not to inform instruction or help the students learn more. While ranking may have some value, I’d hope that effective classroom assessment would be designed to help students demonstrate understandings that can’t always be captured by pencil paper as well as support learning.

I do thank you for extracting and challenging his claims. I was thinking of reading this book but now have second thoughts.

Actually, my point is not that the blob doesn’t often dominate — as they do in selecting educational consultants. My point is that given their resources the blob should win all the time. The fact that they lose as often as they do despite huge advantages in resources demonstrates the problem of having weaker arguments.

Obviously you’ve mastered the 21st Century Skills(TM) of agility, adaptability and curiosity.