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
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