Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 29 - September 4, 2018

Labor Day marks the official start of the school year in parts of the country, though classroom have been open for a few weeks in many other states.  Already, assessment reform campaigns are winning victories as more public officials heed the message that parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders are fed up with standardized exam misuse and overuse.  Could impending elections be a reason for these policy shifts?

California Substituting SAT/ACT for Smarter Balanced High School Test Is Not a Smart Idea
https://edsource.org/2018/substituting-sat-act-for-the-smarter-balanced-test-is-not-a-smart-idea/601775

Florida State Ed Boss Avoids Questions About Test That Cost 1,000+ Teachers Their Jobs
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/florida-education-boss-avoids-questions-after-1000-teachers-terminated-for-failing-state-exam

Georgia Teachers Are Not the Cause of Test Score Gaps
https://flagpole.com/news/comment/2018/08/29/teachers-are-not-the-problem-with-clarke-county-schools

Kentucky Placing More Kids in Special Ed. Classes to Boost Test Scores Is Cheating
https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/editorials/article217659535.html

Massachusetts District Questions State's Testing Obsession
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/opinion/columns/ned-bristol-our-schools-are-no-but-that-s-not/article_d8b07a41-6be0-5009-a8d5-e74359d73b29.html

Michigan Poverty Is Major Factor in Lagging Test Scores
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/08/west_michigan_school_leaders_t.html

Minnesota Multi-Factor School Accountability System Unveiled
http://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Minnesota-unveils-new-school-accountability-system-492140131.html

New Jersey Role of Student Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations Slashed to 5%
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2018/08/31/new-jersey-parcc-teacher-evaluations-education-phil-murphy/1160691002/

Ohio New State Education Plan Edges Away From Testing
http://www.the-review.com/news/20180828/ohios-new-education-plan-moves-away-from-testing

Nevada Alternative to Third Grade Reading Retention Test Approved
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/nevada-oks-alternate-test-for-3rd-graders-who-fail-read-by-3-exam/

North Carolina State Reduces Number of Tests for Lower Grades
http://www.the-dispatch.com/news/20180829/state-reduces-number-of-tests-for-lower-grades

Pennsylvania A Proposal That Is Better Than a Graduation Test
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/08/pa-better-than-graduation-test.html

Texas The Sad ABCs of State's School Grading Scam
https://www.mystatesman.com/news/opinion/two-views-the-sad-abcs-the-texas-school-ratings/THuJK8e2P3A1XB6loxFqGO/
Texas An Exceptional Education at a "Failing" School
http://www.hisdparents.org/blog/2018/9/1/my-kids-school-has-provided-an-exceptional-education-the-tea-says-its-failing

Virginia New Accreditation Standards Rate Schools on More Than Test Scores
https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/major-changes-to-way-virginia-schools-are-evaluated-for-accreditation/1410363448

University Admissions Reports of Leaked Test Content Leaves Students Questioning SAT's Integrity
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/28/august-sat-test-reuse-cheating-college-board-october-2017/1120558002/
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/sat-college-board-duplication-social-media-1.20724515

International Canada Should Mandatory School Testing Be Scrapped?
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/thebigdebate/2018/09/04/should-mandatory-school-testing-be-scrapped-yes.html

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