Interesting tidbit
So I was reading Al Franken's campaign site when I came across this tidbit he referred to as the McNamara's Fallacy. This is in regard to determining the value, importance, or performance of something.
The first step is to measure what can easily be measured. This is OK as far as it goes. The second step is to disregard that which can't easily be measured or give it an arbitrary quantitative value. This is artificial and misleading. The third step is to presume that which can't be measured easily really isn't important. This is blindness. The fourth step is to say that what can't be easily measured really does not exist. This is suicide.
Specifically Al was referring to the no child left behind act and the focus on standardized testing. I just thought it was an interesting quote and worth sharing.
The first step is to measure what can easily be measured. This is OK as far as it goes. The second step is to disregard that which can't easily be measured or give it an arbitrary quantitative value. This is artificial and misleading. The third step is to presume that which can't be measured easily really isn't important. This is blindness. The fourth step is to say that what can't be easily measured really does not exist. This is suicide.
Specifically Al was referring to the no child left behind act and the focus on standardized testing. I just thought it was an interesting quote and worth sharing.