Testing Resistance & Reform News: November 19 - 25, 2014
As you give thanks over the upcoming holiday, please join FairTest in our gratitude for the thousands of parents, teachers, students, administrators, community activists, school board members, researchers and commentators who are standing up to protect our children from standardized testing misuse and overuse. Here are a few of their recent stories.
Test Scores Likely to Plunge on New Common Core Tests
http://www.vox.com/2014/11/18/7236175/common-core-test-scores
Colorado State Board of Education Unanimously Endorses Testing Cutback
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/11/20/state-board-calls-for-testing-cutbacks/#.VG6abnvvcZw
Study Finds Colorado Testing Costs $78 Million a Year Plus Teacher Time
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/11/20/study-testing-costs-up-to-78-million-covers-most-of-school-year/#.VG83TXvvcZw
Jeb Bush Faces Presidential Campaign Backlash for Florida Education Policies
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/283256251.html
Central Florida School Board Advances Resolution to Allow Parents to Exempt Children Out of Standardized Exams
http://www.ocala.com/article/20141120/ARTICLES/141129963/1001/NEWS01?p=all&tc=pgall
Orlando Florida School Board Supports Two-Year Exemption From Test-Based Teacher Evaluation
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-teacher-evaluations-test-scores-florida-20141122-story.html
Illinois Parents, Teachers Fight to Delay New State Exam
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/20/new-standardized-tests-come-under-fire/
Standardized Testing Blocks Teaching and Learning in Illinois
http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/31188191-452/standardized-testing-stops-learning.html#.VG-sZXvvcZw
Massachusetts Drops Plan to Base Teacher Licenses on Student Test Scores
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/15/teachers/Q2VoPPcp1AJTV8PWCeUptO/story.html
Massachusetts Should Look to New York Performance Standards Consortium Model
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2014/11/21/look-model-for-performance-based-standards/eeISUUr0gfwR1pAqlElUHP/story.html
One-Size-Fits-All Testing Not the Answer for Missouri Schools
http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/11/18/one-size-fits-answer-missouri-schools/19245501/
New Mexico "Take the Test" Day Shows Parents, Teachers What Today's Students Face
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3629005.shtml
Albuquerque, N.M., Schools Unsure They Have Capacity for New Computerized Testing
http://www.koat.com/news/temporary-labs-prepped-for-parcc-testing/29921236
Testing Fuels Anxiety in New York State Schools -- great letter to the editor
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141119/OPINION/141119300
New York Parents Reject State's "Mandatory" Field Test Plan
http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/11/20/common-core-field-tests-mandatory-new-york-schools-lohudreacts/70018076/
New York Teachers Say Field Tests Waste Valuable Education Time
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-11-24-90003.113122-Field-tests-a-waste-of-valuable-time-NYSUT.html
Ohio House Passes Bill to Cut Student Testing Time in Half
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/ohio_house_passes_bill_to_limi.html
Time Limits on Ohio Testing Time A First Step Toward Assessment Reform
http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20141120/OPINION/141119153
Oklahoma Teachers' Refusal to Give Tests Puts Jobs at Risk
http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepage2/two-teachers-refusal-to-give-tests-puts-their-jobs-at/article_a3b1005b-09c2-555f-9a5d-39eaeb497205.html
Pennsylvania Opt-Out Movement Grows as Philadelphia City Council Holds Hearing on Testing
http://thenotebook.org/blog/147941/phillys-opt-out-movement-grows-council-holds-hearing-standardized-tests
A Path Beyond the Opt-Out Movement
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-welner/a-path-beyond-the-optout-_b_6198170.html
A Generation Betrayed By Standardized Testing Obsession
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Lecker-A-generation-jeopardized-by-obsession-5894103.php
Educational "Accountability" As Disaster Bureaucracy
http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/education-accountability-as-disaster-bureaucracy/
True Accountability: Giving All Kids a Fair Shot
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_deeply/2014/11/true_accountability_giving_all_students_a_shot.html
Education Reform Lexicon for Paradigm Busters
http://www.livingindialogue.com/education-reform-lexicon-paradigm-busters/
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
More than 1060 four-year colleges and universities do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants.