Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 19 - 25, 2020
Election Season 2020 is well underway -- November 3 is just 10 weeks off! There is no better time for parents, educators and activists to get policymakers to pay attention to your assessment reform agenda. Polls show that educational issues are huge in this cycle. This is a great opportunity to press candidates to suspend federal and state standardized exam requirements during the upcoming school year as well as to support meaningful initiatives that will reduce testing misuse and overuse!
National Education a Key Issue in 2020 Elections -- Plurality Says "Too Much Testing"
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/08/public-trump-education-record-2020-pdk-poll.html
National Democratic Party Platform Calls for Ending High-Stakes Exams
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/08/democrats-platform-tests-charters-pay-teachers.html
Arizona Educators Seek Test Cancellation as Part of School Reopening Plan
https://www.abc15.com/news/getting-back-to-school/arizona-education-association-calls-for-ducey-to-implement-statewide-school-reopening-plan
Arkansas Letter: Scrap Standardized Tests to Promote More Learning
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/aug/24/letters/
District of Columbia Taking Tests After Classmates Were Shot; the Academic Impact of Violence
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/academic-impact-violence/2020/08/23/85f0868a-00af-11ea-9518-1e76abc088b6_story.html
Georgia Time to Put the Atlanta Test-Cheating Scandal to Rest
https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/opinion-time-to-put-atlanta-cheating-scandal-to-rest/PGPGHZH2KVFEXKWOXG47M5NMNE/
Massachusetts Pandemic Fuels Debate Over Public School Standardized Testing
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200818/pandemic-refuels-debate-over-role-of-mcas-exam
Michigan Educators, Legislators Debate Worth of Standardized Tests During COVID
https://www.record-eagle.com/collections/educators-legislators-debate-worth-of-standardized-testing-during-covid/article_bf8777fc-d5a0-11ea-b9cd-4fb384b1da3f.html
Mississippi Standardized Testing Still Slated for Coming School Year
https://www.northsidesun.com/news-breaking-news-schools/standardized-tests-still-slated-school-year
Tennessee Board of Education Will Consider Testing Moratorium Resolution
https://www.crossville-chronicle.com/news/local_news/boe-to-discuss-critical-infrastructure-designation-thursday/article_ec355c1a-e630-11ea-9e63-17abbc8fc3e0.html
Virginia School Board's New Racial Equity Policy Covers Standardized Exams
https://www.arlnow.com/2020/08/24/school-board-adopts-first-ever-aps-equity-policy/
Washington State Education Super Calls on Biden-Harris for Commitment to Grant Testing Waivers
https://www.chrisreykdal.org/open-letter
University Admissions Counselors' Report Strongly Criticizes ACT/SAT
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/08/18/nacac-issues-report-standardized-testing-admissions
University Admissions August SAT Cancelled for Nearly Half of Registrants with More Sites Closures to Come
https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2020/08/18/the-august-sat-is-cancelled-for-nearly-half-of-students/#4f12085e7972
University Admissions Stop Gatekeeping Exams for Graduate School
https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2020/08/grad-school-testing-0824
Worth Reading Shut Down of Public School and College Admissions Testing Is Unexpected Benefit of Pandemic
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/08/19/the-accidental-education-benefits-of-covid-19.html
Worth Reading How Bad Is New Gates-Funded Computerized Essay Scoring Tool
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/08/how-bad-is-this-gates-funded-essay.html
Bob Schaeffer, interim Executive Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org
1,600+ Accredited, 4-Year Colleges & Universities with ACT/SAT-Optional Testing Policies for Fall, 2021 Admissions