Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 11 - 17, 2017 FairTest Links

As FairTest's first-generation leaders move toward retirement., the organization has begun the process of planning for a smooth transition. The first step is hiring a consultant to develop a new strategic plan to make the assessment reform movement even more effective. Working with current staff, board, and other stakeholders, the ideal candidate will also be interested in taking over as FairTest's executive director in 2018.  For details, see:

http://fairtest.org/postion-available-fulltime-strategic-planning-cons

National January 19 Day of Action to Reclaim Our Schools Includes Demands to Reduce Testing Overuse
http://www.reclaimourschools.org/january-19-day-resistance
National States Expanding Tool Kit to Assess School Quality Under ESSA
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/01/04/states-preparing-expanded-toolkit-in-assessment-of.html
National How to Support Public Education Under Trump
http://fusion.net/story/380415/surviving-trump-america-education/amp/

Alabama Grading the Test Graders; Legislature Gets an "F" for School Ratings
http://www.timesdaily.com/opinion/editorials/grading-the-graders-legislature-gets-an-f/article_143eb673-e0e8-5870-a356-7a06a32b155c.html

California State School Board Chooses New Ways to Measure Academic Progress
https://edsource.org/2017/state-board-chooses-new-way-of-measuring-school-progress-on-tests/575256
California New School Dashboard to Monitor Student Achievement
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/sd-me-school-dashboard-20170113-story.html

Colorado Students Stage a Satirical Take on Testing
http://www.aspentimes.com/entertainment/activities-events/aspen-high-school-students-stage-a-satirical-take-on-testing/

Delaware Superintendent Candidate Urges Parents to Opt Out
https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-opt-out/

Florida Legislature Considers Ways to  Ease School Testing
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-testing-florida-legislature-20170109-story.html
Florida A Bad Model for DeVos-Style School "Reform"
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-betsy-devos-florida-vouchers-scott-maxwell-20170114-column.html
Florida Is State Taking a Turn Toward Sanity?
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/romano-whoa-did-florida-just-take-a-turn-toward-sanity-on-education/2309291

Georgia State Reduces Testing to Stem Tide of Teachers Leaving Profession
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/121354/

Indiana Educators React to Potential Delay in Replacing Discredited Exam
http://wlfi.com/2017/01/11/local-educators-react-to-possible-istep-replacement-delay/
Indiana Test-Based School Grades Called "Irrelevant"
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/District-grades-called--irrelevant--17228879
Indiana Educators, Lawmakers Urge End to Basing Teacher Evaluations on Test Scores
http://www.wibc.com/news/local-news/teachers-lawmakers-urge-ending-connection-between-istep-scores-and-teacher

Iowa Governor Seeks "Hold" on Move to Smarter Balanced Exams
http://whotv.com/2017/01/12/branstad-asks-for-hold-on-move-to-new-education-exams/

Louisiana Governor's Panel Recommends Dropping School Letter Grades
http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20170113/state-panel-suggests-dropping-public-school-letter-grades

North Carolina Scores Are Not Only Measure of Academic Achievement
http://www.citizen-times.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/01/13/letter-scores-arent-only-measure-achievement/96531204/

Oklahoma One-Size-Fits-All "Accountability" Creates Destructive Cycle
https://nondoc.com/2017/01/12/accountability-creates-destructive-cycle/

Tennessee Online Testing May Be Hurting Some Children
http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2017/01/11/online-testing-may-hurting-some-children/96203010/

Texas Parents, Educators Say "Ignore Stupid School Letter Grades"
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2017/01/10/texas-teachers-parents-pundits-blast-new-good-bad-f-grades-schools
Texas State Needs to Toss Out Standardized Testing
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2017/jan/14/texas-needs-to-toss-out-standardized-testing/
Texas Houston Schools Suspend Use of Test Scores to Determine Grade Retention
http://www.chron.com/news/article/HISD-trustees-vote-to-suspend-the-use-of-test-10854602.php

Virginia Testing Does Not Equate with Educating
http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/opinion/letter-testing-doesn-t-equate-with-educating/article_14964fae-9a03-5a01-b9b4-fa235afbf5eb.html

Washington Schools Tracking Absences as Non-Test Indicator of Academic Progress
http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/washingtons-plan-for-every-student-succeeds-act-look-at-attendance-as-well-as-test-scores/

West Virginia We Can Do Better Than Faulty A to F School Grades
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/gazette-op-ed-commentaries/20170114/greg-prudich-wv-must-do-better-than-faulty-a-f-grades-for-schools
West Virginia State Board of Ed Considers Replacing Smarter Balanced Tests
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-education/20170111/wv-may-move-away-from-smarter-balanced-tests

International Canada Effective Education Goes Beyond Multiple Choice
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/effective-education-goes-beyond-multiple-choice-1.7071427

College Admissions Should Biomedical Graduate Schools Ignore GRE Scores
http://phys.org/news/2017-01-biomedical-schools-gre.html

Worth Reading How Test-Driven School "Reform" Hurts Low-Income Young Children
https://www.deyproject.org/uploads/1/5/5/7/15571834/teachersspeakfinal_rgb.pdf
Worth Reading Fairness is Elephant in the Room for "Value-Added" Teacher Assessment
http://vamboozled.com/the-elephant-in-the-room-fairness/

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