As school testing season draws closer, parents, educators and state policy makers are ramping up demands on the incoming Biden Administration to waive this year’s exam mandates. Add your voice and your organization’s by signing on to the National Call to Suspend High-Stakes Standardized Tests in Spring 2021 at:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/suspend-high-stakes-student-testing
If federal and state governments fail to act to act responsibly by lifting testing requirements, advocacy groups including FairTest are planning a massive opt-out campaign. See resources here:
https://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
Arizona Assigning Schools Test-Based Grades Makes No Sense During Pandemic
https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2021/01/13/arizona-schools-should-not-given-letter-grades-2021/6646592002/
Arkansas Parents Worry About Requiring Students to Return to School to Take Standardized Exams
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/parents-worry-over-required-in-person-standardized-testing-in-schools/
California School Officials Push for Standardized Test Waiver Due to COVID-19 Surge
https://edsource.org/2021/california-school-officials-push-for-standardized-testing-waiver-amid-covid-19-spike/646901
Colorado District Leaders Call for State Test Suspension
https://www.9news.com/article/news/education/westminster-superintendent-wants-to-delay-standardized-tests/73-c622a69e-4b13-4a90-80cd-9a64baa564c4
Colorado Advocates Educate Parents of English Learners About Test Opt-Out Rights
https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/13/22230077/advocates-want-families-know-children-dont-have-take-english-proficiency-tests
Florida Superintendent Says No Way Spring 2021 Test Results Can Be Fair Measures of Students or Teachers
https://www.newsherald.com/story/lifestyle/2021/01/13/your-schools-no-word-yet-if-state-tests-waived/6645837002/
Florida Petition Calls on State to Delay English Language Exams
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/espanol/el-sentinel-in-english/os-ex-english-petition-delay-in-person-english-language-tests-20210113-gj6juiojf5drrcsivltoicrz4q-story.html
Indiana State Ed Board Considers Overhaul of A-to-F School Grading System
https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/state-ed-board-considers-a-f-school-grade-changes
Massachusetts Boston Public School Parents Council Calls for Suspension of State K-12 Tests
http://www.citywideparentcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CPC-MCAS-Statement-113020.pdf
Massachusetts Educators, Lawmakers Wary of Standardized Testing Under Pandemic Conditions
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/mcas-in-a-pandemic-year-some-berkshire-educators-lawmakers-wary/article_41f1e848-551d-11eb-8748-5b6b55bc0e6d.html
Michigan Educators Push for Suspension of State Standardized Exams for a Second Year
https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/educators-push-for-m-step-to-be-canceled-again-this-year/
Michigan Teachers Hope Feds and State Rethink Evaluation Systems
https://www.record-eagle.com/news/educators-hope-state-federal-legislators-rethink-teacher-evaluations/article_7dcd9e2e-5677-11eb-9e72-ef420a00660b.html
New York Allies for Public Education Campaign for State Exam Suspension, Federal Waiver
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/for-equitys-sake-eliminate-regent-exams-now-ask-usdoe-for-waiver-for-3rd-8th-grade-state-tests
New York Teachers Union Calls for Suspension of State K-8 Exams
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/regents-exams-and-grades-3-8-testing-1.50123635
New York Model Testing Refusal/Opt-Out Letter
https://nysape.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Refusal-letter-2020-21.pdf
Pennsylvania Joint Letter from Major Education Organizations Seek Federal Testing Waiver
https://www.paprincipals.org/resource/images/stories/documents/legislative/Joint%20Letter%20-%20Biden%20Casey%20Toomey%20-%20Student%20Assessments.pdf
Some Districts Delay Standardized Exams Due to Pandemic
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2021/01/13/some-york-county-school-districts-delay-standardized-tests-due-covid-19-pandemic/6652914002/
Pennsylvania Advocates Call for Postponement of English Language Learners Test
https://www.wesa.fm/post/advocates-call-postponement-test-english-learners#stream/0
Tennessee What Will Happen With Standardized Testing This Year?
https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/education/tennessee-education-association-discusses-standardized-testing-ahead-of-governor-bill-lee-special-session-on-education/522-8adb26d0-141d-4a1c-9ada-acbdd29087ce
University Admission Report Calls for California Universities to Eliminate ACT/SAT Requirement Permanently
https://news.yahoo.com/uc-permanently-eliminate-standardized-tests-204233689.html
University Admission College Board Scraps SAT “Essay” and Subject Tests
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sat-essay-subject-matter-tests/
International Canada Provincial Exams Cancelled in Quebec
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-cancels-provincial-exams-eases-school-grades-requirements
Worth Reading Six Ways High-Stakes Testing Destroys Student Voice
https://nancyebailey.com/2021/01/14/6-ways-high-stakes-standardized-testing-destroys-student-voice/
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