FairTest and the Test Battles

Bob Shaeffer reports: There's no "summer break" for testing resistance campaigns as pressure builds on policy-makers across the nation to end standardized exam misuse and overuse. Note, especially, the political diversity of states with major activity. The assessment reform movement cannot be described accurately using conventional terms such as "liberal" vs "conservative" or "left" vs "right." Opposition to test-and-punish educational strategies spans the ideological spectrum Alaska Repeals High School Exit Exam, Plans to Award Withheld Diplomas http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/new-education-bill-could-help-those-without-diplomas/26378278 New Connecticut State Tests Mean Less Time for Teaching and Learning http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20140604/NEWS/140609555 One Florida Mother Has Had it With High Stakes Testing http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/one-mother-has-had-it-with-high-stakes-public-school-tests-whats-her-next/2183397 Union Challenges Florida's Test-Based "Merit Pay" Law as "Irrational" http://tbo.com/news/education/teachers-and-union-appeal-state-merit-pay-ruling-20140605/ Indiana State-Federal Assessments Stand-off Illustrates Politically Driven Testing Charade http://www.jconline.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/06/06/editorial-istep-fight-far-classroom/10073887/ Louisiana School Grades Distort Picture of Education http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/opinion/9373801-171/letter-tests-dont-show-whole Gov. Jindal Wants to Pull Louisiana Out of Common Core Testing http://theadvocate.com/home/9382945-125/jindal-says-he-wants-state Maine School Grading System Has Major Flaws http://courier.mainelymediallc.com/news/2014-06-05/Editorial/Beyond_the_Headlines.html New Massachusetts Teacher Union President Supports Three-Year Moratorium on Standardized Testing http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2014/06/05/massachusetts-teachers-association-new-president-rejects-assessments-testing-and-other-education-policies/N4LWsYjMXyc3ON98pxnPJP/story.html# New Jersey Testing Concerns Grow as PARCC Phase-In Begins http://www.edlawcenter.org/news/archives/secondary-reform/testing-concerns-grow-as-parcc-phase-in-begins.html More Questions on Accuracy of New Mexico Teacher Evaluations http://www.abqjournal.com/412073/news/more-questions-on-evals-accuracy.html Upstate New York School Districts Say "No" to Pearson Field Tests http://www.rochesterhomepage.net/story/d/story/districts-say-no-to-field-testing/34312/RgeZZhyTcEKUTTnUeoLG_A Field Test is Exercise in Futility http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/gonzalez-practice-testing-state-mandated-exercise-futility-article-1.1817474 Just Say "No" to NY Field Tests http://www.wnyc.org/story/opinion-tell-parents-they-can-just-say-no-field-tests/ New Yorkers Demand Release of Test Questions for Public Inspection https://www.votervoice.net/NYSAPE/campaigns/36307/respond New York Republican Legislators Promote Plan to Review Common Core Assessments http://www.longislandexchange.com/press-releases/common-core-cant-be-forgotten/ Bill Would End Pearson's Common Core Testing Contract http://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2014/06/04/senator-wants-pearson-ties-cut/9969003/ Why I Despise North Carolina's End-of-Grade Tests http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20140604/LETTERS/140609887/1107/opinion?Title=Let-the-tests-begin- Ohio's Standardized Tests: What's the Point? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-klodell/standardized-tests_b_5448020.html Oklahoma Schools Challenge Flawed Writing Test Scores http://www.koco.com/news/school-districts-say-test-scores-inaccurate-asking-for-rescore/26314828#!UfudR Standardized Tests for Tennessee Learning Disabled Students Make Little Sense http://www.dnj.com/article/20140605/OPINION/306050010 Bringing Transparency to Tennessee Testing http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2014/06/09/bring-transparency-school-testing-process/10202061/ Vermont to Develop Local Proficiency Standards, Not State Exit Exam http://www.vnews.com/news/12274494-95/vt-schools-to-create-new-high-school-proficiency-standards Virginia Kids Are Not "All Right" Due to High-Stakes Testing http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/lehman-testing---the-kids-are-not-all-right/article_f7d8f824-72a3-5763-a7d9-2a6704d30bab.html NCLB Falsely Labels Wyoming Schools as "Failing" http://trib.com/opinion/columns/thompson-wyoming-schools-are-failing-try-again/article_8ace31e9-c1c2-52e8-82e6-a00b550037ec.html Obama-Duncan Education Policies Test Our Patience http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/books/chi-0608-biblioracle-20140606,0,3100945,full.column What Happens When a Student Fails a High-Stakes Test http://conversationed.com/2014/05/27/the-academic-life-cycle-of-a-non-proficient-student/ This Is Not a Test: Jose Vilson's Vision of Race, Class and Education in the U.S. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/24112-testing-narrative-jose-vilsons-vision-of-race-class-and-education-in-the-us You Don't Fatten a Pig By Weighing It http://www.laep.org/2014/06/03/you-dont-fatten-a-pig-by-weighing-it/ Testing Overkill Won't Draw In Better Teachers http://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/06/04/sally-butzin-testing-bring-better-teachers/9978157/ Correcting a Harmful Misuse of Test Scores http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/assessing_the_assessments/2014/06/correcting_a_harmful_misuse_of_students_test_scores.html Morality, Validity and the Design of Instructionally Sensitive Tests http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/assessing_the_assessments/2014/06/morality_validity_and_the_design_of_instructionally_sensitive_tests.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS3 Common Core Assessment Sales Job is a Hoax http://mobile.gazettenet.com/home/12038490-108/louise-law-john-stifler-look-between-the-lines-on-education-reform National Principals Groups Seeks Pause in Common Core Assessments http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/03/national-principals-group-urges-slowdown-in-common-core-implementation/ "We Will Not Let an Exam Decide Our Fate" http://conversationed.com/2014/05/30/i-will-not-let-an-exam-result-decide-my-fate-spoken-word-video/ I Am a Scientist with Learning Disabilities, And That's OK http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2014/06/10/im-scientist-learning-disabilities-thats-okay/ Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779 mobile- (239) 696-0468 web- http://www.fairtest.org