Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 24 - March 1, 2016 Compiled by FairTest

Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 24 - March 1, 2016

Compiled by FairTest

The 2016 testing season is underway both in several state K-12 public school systems and for university admissions.  Not surprisingly, this year's wave of standardized exams is generating even more intense push back from students, parents, educators and community activists fed up with test misuse and overuse. That grassroots pressure is forcing policy makers to respond, often by reducing the most egregious examples of testing overkill.

National As Protests Rise Over Testing, More Students Likely to Opt Out
http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/education&id=370396831
National The Opt-Out Revolt: A Special Magazine Issue Including a Chapter From FairTest
http://monthlyreview.org/archives/2016/volume-67-issue-10-march/

Colorado Board Developing Testing Plans to Reflect Opt-Out Notifications
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_29560131/bvsd-developing-testing-schedules-opt-out-numbers-come

Connecticut Parents, School Officials Decry Potential Opt-Out Penalties
http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/parents_school_officials_decry_testing_opt-out_penalties/
Connecticut State Eliminates Part of Grade School Test; Teachers Press for Deeper Cuts, More Time for Learning
http://wtnh.com/2016/02/25/connecticut-education-officials-curb-time-spent-on-testing/
Connecticut Removing Humans From Education Through Online Teaching and Testing
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Wendy-Lecker-Removing-humans-from-education-6842720.php

Delaware State PTA Fights National Organization About Opt-Out Policy
https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/national-pta-forces-delaware-pta-to-back-down-from-honoring-parents-right-to-opt-out-time-to-end-that-relationship/

Florida More Parents Taking Their Kids Out of Testing
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-03-27/story/more-parents-taking-their-students-out-testing
Florida Families Tussle with Some School Districts About Opt-Out Policies
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/testing/parents-school-officials-tussle-over-kids-opting-out-of-florida-tests/2267020
Florida Standardized Tests Take Joy Out of Learning
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20160226/OPINION03/160229826

Georgia Parental Test-Refusal Rights Overwhelmingly Approved by State Senate
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/parental-test-refusal-right-approved-by-georgia-se/nqZ8t/
Georgia Testing Reform Bills Moving Through Legislature Could Change Schools
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/testing-and-teacher-evaluation-bills-could-change-/nqXhm//

Illinois Anti-Testing Movement Plans 2016 Strategy
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/anti-testing-movement-plans-2016-strategy-as-education-cuts-take-center-stage/
Illinois Testing "March Madness" Returns to Schools
http://www.chicagonow.com/still-advocating/2016/02/standardized-testing-march-madness-returns-to-our-schools/
Illinois Group Organizes Local Opt-Out Meetings
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160227/logan-square/should-your-child-opt-out-of-upcoming-tests-anti-test-group-holds-meetings

Indiana Jettison State Exam, Then Dump Standardized Testing
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/Take-the-next-step-11648469
Indiana Lawmakers and Educators Agree That Test is Severely Flawed
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/83d0e9c1d8fb438da1281a714ecaf21f/IN--Student-Testing-Indiana
Indiana Parents Press for Opt-Out
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2016/02/25/mom-istep-we-not-going-participate-anymore/80938184/

Louisiana College Scholarships Should be Based on More Than Test Scores
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/tops_standards.html

Maryland Time to Back Away From Testing Overkill
http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/opinion/2016/02/24/editorial-20160224/80811072/
Maryland Asking the Wrong Questions About Testing
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2016/02/md-asking-wrong-questions-about-testing.html

Massachusetts School Officials Grapple With Opt-Out Policy
http://www.telegram.com/article/20160223/NEWS/160229684
Massachusetts Test-Based Education "Reform" Is Not About Learning
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/column-education-reform-is-not-about-learning/article_b9f4b1fe-54b6-54ec-a004-8288252a12c7.html

Missouri Relentless Assessment Hurts Students, Teachers
http://www.columbiatribune.com/opinion/oped/testing-the-limits-relentless-assessmentshurt-students-teachers/article_9689857c-7e08-501f-ac57-95df7343cfb0.html

New Jersey Parents, Teachers Winning Against PARCC
http://www.app.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/02/24/steinhauer-parents-njea-winning-parcc/80861310/
New Jersey Requiring PARCC Teest to Earn a Diploma Still a Bad Idea
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/njspotlight/njspotlight_20160229_Op-Ed__Requiring_PARCC_Test_to_Earn_High-School_Diploma_Still_a_Bad_Idea_for_NJ.html

New York Opt-Out Movement Unlikely to Provoke State Sanctions
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2016/02/23/opt-out-movement-unlikely-to-provoke-sanctions-from-state-this-time-around/
New York Opt-Out Email Phone App
http://optthemout.com/
New York State Testing Is Not What Is Best for Our Kids
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/state-testing-not-what-s-best-for-our-students-1.11496363

Ohio Controversy Swirls Over Value of School Tests
http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/news/local-education/controversy-swirls-over-value-of-school-tests/nqYtw/
State School Report Cards Are Badly Flawed
http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20160223/NEWS/160229759

Oklahoma Bill to Limit School Tests Moves Forward
http://examiner-enterprise.com/news/local-news/bill-limit-school-tests-moves-forward

Oregon National Opt-Out Leader to Speak on Testing Protests
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/20160225/lead-story/teacher-activist

Pennsylvania Principal's Letter Says Test Scores "Don't Mean Everything"
http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/community/fort-mill-times/article62180407.html

Rhode Island ACLU Files Open Records Requests for Districts' PARCC Use Plans
http://patch.com/rhode-island/cranston/aclu-files-open-records-requests-all-ri-school-districts-parcc-clarity-0

Tennessee School Board Member Says Her Daughter Will Lose Six to Eight Weeks of Education to Testing This Year
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/02/28/mom-my-third-grader-is-losing-6-8-weeks-this-year-to-standardized-testing-for-no-good-reason/
Tennessee "I Am Not a Test Score"
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/31342882/david-carroll-i-am-not-a-test-score

Texas Testing the Test: The State Exam's Impact on Local Students and Districts
http://www.kcentv.com/story/31344765/testing-the-staar-impact-of-state-standardized-testing-on-local-students-and-districts
Texas Teachers Union Endorses Parents' Opt-Out Rights
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Teacher-union-sanctions-test-opt-outs-6862047.php
Texas Parents, Educators Have to Decide What They Want Tests to Show
http://www.mrt.com/news/education/article_3171d24a-d9b6-11e5-b3ed-67dd265dcb1c.html

Utah How High-Stakes Testing Impacts Our Children
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=38618545&nid=148&title=too-much-testing-how-high-stakes-testing-impacts-our-children
Utah Testing Debate Continues in State Legislature
http://m.deseretnews.com/article/865648938/Debate-over-SAGE-testing-continues-in-Utah-Legislature.html

Canada Ontario Teachers Association Says Scrap Annual Standardized Tests
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/27/scrap-standardized-tests-union-boss

ACT/SAT Temple Shatters Application Record With New Test-Optional Policy
http://news.temple.edu/news/2016-02-24/temple-shatters-record-freshman-applications
ACT/SAT College Admissions Tests Are New Glass Ceiling for STEM Occupations
http://www.thenation.com/article/standardized-tests-are-a-new-glass-ceiling/

Will "Competency Based Learning" Rescue the Testocracy?
http://www.livingindialogue.com/will-competency-based-learning-rescue-the-testocracy/

Teaching to the Test May Help Schools Reach Exam Goals, Not Develop Love of Reading
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/teaching-test-means-schools-are-meeting-literacy-targets-failing

No You Cannot Test My Child
http://danielskatz.net/2016/02/25/no-you-cannot-test-my-child/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office-   (239) 395-6773   fax-  (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 699-0468
web-  http://www.fairtest.org