Wednesday, August 30, 2017

FairTest Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 23 - 29, 2017

FairTest Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 23 - 29, 2017
Bob Schaeffer

You can tell that a new school year is beginning across the U.S. by the surge in testing-related coverage -- this week's clips include news from 20 states as well as national overviews. FairTest is especially pleased that so many stories and columns include strong criticisms of standardized exam misuse and overuse, reflecting a growing consensus for assessment reform that is also revealed in recent public opinion polls.

National Many States Begin Shedding K-12 Exam Mandates

National New Poll Finds Little Public Support for Standardized Testing
http://pdkpoll.org/results#measuring-school-quality  #EdBlogNet @FairTestOffice @idraedu

Alabama State Board Member Wants to Institutionalize Special Ed. Students to Boost Average Test Scores

Arizona School Grades Delayed to Massage Ranking Formula

California State Board Dismisses Complaints From Test-and-Punish Advocates
California Test Scores Delayed Indefinitely Due to "Data Issues"
California Parents Prep Kids for Kindergarten Entrance Tests

Colorado State Asks Feds for More Time to Integrate Opt-Out Policy Into ESSA Plan

Florida Governor Candidate Says Testing Cripples Education

Idaho New Graduation Requirements Stir Debate Over Tests' Value

Indiana Superintendent of Education Says, "We Assess Kids to Death"
http://www.thebraziltimes.com/story/2438328.html  #EdBlogNet @FairTestOffice @idraedu

Maryland School Test Scores Can be Highly Misleading
Maryland The Limits of Standardized Testing
Maryland State Board of Education Debates School Rating System

Massachusetts Moving Beyond MCAS: Current School Quality Measures Are Incomplete, Inaccurate

Minnesota Aggregated Test Scores Mislead on School Performance

New Jersey Replacing High-Stakes Testing with Broader Education?

New Mexico Do School Grades Show Real Academic Performance or "Noise"?
New Mexico Time to Dump PARCC Tests?

New York Teachers Call Test Scores "Virtually Meaningless"
New York 225,000 Students Opted Out of State Tests in 2017
http://www.nysape.org/nysape-pr-2017-opt-out-results.html  #EdBlogNet @FairTestOffice @idraedu

North Carolina The Failure of Using Business-Model Practices Like VAM in Education

Ohio Test Scores Don't Tell Us Anything We Did Not Already Know

Pennsylvania Spending Too Much Time on Testing and Not Getting Enough Back

Tennessee Parents Should Opt Out of Standardized Testing Madness
Tennessee Weeks Into New School Year, Last Spring's Test Scores Still Not Available

Virginia Principal and Teachers Fired at School Where Staff Cheated on Exams

Washington ESSA Plan Moves Beyond No Child Left Behind

West Virginia More Changes to Draft ESSA Plan

International Principals in India Say Students Gain Nothing From Competency Tests

University University Bloomfield College Now Has Test-Optional Admissions Policy
University California State System Eliminates Placement-Test Based Remedial Courses

Worth Reading New Book "Beyond Test Scores: A Better Way to Measure School Quality"
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976399  #EdBlogNet @FairTestOffice @idraedu
Worth Reading Closing Schools with Low Scores Does Not Help Most Students
Worth Reading Questions Parents Should Ask Schools About Testing Their Children

Support Heroes in Education Be sure to order your tickets or make your contribution for FairTest's October 26 "Heroes in Education" award reception honoring Schott Foundation head John Jackson and Mass. Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni.  Details at: http://www.fairtest.org/fairtest-to-honor-jackson-and-madeloni  #EdBlogNet @FairTestOffice @idraedu

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