Assessment Reform News: February 2023

Testingreformseason is heating up with many state legislatures considering proposals to reduce standardized exam overkill at the same time public schools are gearing up to administer another round of federal- and state-mandatedassessments.

Assessment reform campaigns are heating up across the nation.  In both K-12 and higher education, there’s renewed energy to replace high-stakes testing hurdles with authentic measures of what students know and can do, not how well they take standardized exams. 

If you have colleagues, allies, and friends who want to stay on top of these important controversies, please encourage them to sign up for FairTest’s weeklyAssessmentReformNews — subscriptions are free. Simply send names and email addresses tofairtest@fairtest.orgwith the subject line “Newsletter Signup”.

NationalAnnual Student Testing Provides Little New or Useful Information; Results Can Be Distorted by School Demographic Changes
https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/article/view/7696

U.S. Ed. Sec Says Standardized Exams Should No Longer Be a “Hammer,” ButTest-Based “Accountability” Remains in Place
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/education-secretary-standardized-tests-should-no-longer-be-a-hammer/2023/01
National Many States Rethinking School Grading Systems After Pandemic Pause
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/2/1/23580461/school-accountability-covid-grades-pandemic-essa
National Accountability Systems Must Offer More than School Grades
https://www.nciea.org/blog/accountability-systems-must-offer-more-than-school-grades/

AlaskaLegislators Consider RemovingTestScore Requirement for College Scholarship Eligibility
https://alaskapublic.org/2023/02/09/alaska-lawmakers-work-to-lower-barriers-to-eligibility-for-in-state-scholarships/

ArizonaHow To Make School Grading Even Worse
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/02/az-how-do-you-make-school-grading.html
New State Superintendent Should Cut Testing Overkill Rather Than Reinstating High School Graduation Exam
https://tucson.com/opinion/local/heather-mace-what-tom-horne-should-keep-leave-behind-in-2023/article_c8acfafe-974b-11ed-8e2f-4f3a84c52360.html
Arkansas
Legislators Say Test Scores Are “Superfluous” at Private Schools Receiving Taxpayer Funding
http://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/regional_news/article_08a459dc-ad3a-11ed-83d9-3727bb26080a.html

ColoradoBill Seeks to End Social Studies Testing Requirement
https://thebrightonblade.com/stories/dems-aim-to-ax-social-studies-from-standardized-tests,419616

FloridaState Weighs “Classical and Christian” Alternative Test for College Admissions
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/02/19/florida-weighs-classical-and-christian-alternative-to-sat-college-entrance-exam/

GeorgiaAtlanta School Cheating Case Drags On a Decade After Indictments
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/notorious-atlanta-school-cheating-case-still-lingers-a-decade-after-initial-indictments/ar-AA17ik9k

Indiana
New Multi-Indicator Dashboard Could Replace State’s A-to-F School Grades
https://in.chalkbeat.org/2023/2/9/23592830/indiana-school-quality-dashboard-literacy-college-enrollment-grades-accountability-special-education

Louisiana
Advocates Say Special Ed Students Not Given RequiredTestAccommodations
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/special-ed-leaders-say-students-denied-help-for-key-test/article_d6439d19-6823-5bb5-862a-5f8139fde641.html

MassachusettsBill Seeks to End GraduationTestRequirement and Score-Based School Takeovers
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/metro/bill-seeks-eliminate-school-takeovers-by-mass-education-department
Spring Is the Season to Opt Children Out of Standardized Tests
https://www.recorder.com/my-turn-Selwyn-Spring-is-in-the-air-the-MCAS-are-coming-soon–49878042
Let’s Not UseTestScores to Support Return to More Segregated Schools
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2023/02/08/separate-has-never-been-equal-lets-not-try-it-again/

MichiganSenate Panel Advances Bill Cancelling Third Grade Reading RetentionTestLaw
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/01/31/michigan-senate-education-committee-advances-bill-scraping-third-grade-reading-law/69859649007/

State Senate Votes to Eliminate ReadingTestRetention Law
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-senate-dumps-read-or-flunk-portion-third-grade-law

MissouriLawmaker Proposes Plan to Allow Districts to Opt Out of State Testing and Accountability
https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawmaker-proposes-local-control-plan-to-opt-missouri-districts-out-of-state-standards/

New Jersey Law Makers Hear Pleas to End High School Graduation Test Requirement
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/jersey-lawmakers-hear-pleas-end-111500689.html

Lawmakers Hear Pleas to End Graduation Testing Requirement
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/02/10/lawmakers-hear-pleas-to-end-high-school-graduation-exam-requirement/


New York
Teachers Again Allowed to Grade Own Students’ State Exams
https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/2/1/23581991/public-schools-grade-own-regents-exams

North Carolina
Leaders Seek New Ways to Measure School Performance That Don’t Depend on Socio-Economic Status
https://www.wral.com/what-makes-a-good-school-nc-school-leaders-eye-new-way-of-measuring-school-quality/20701946/

OklahomaBan Paying Teachers Based on StudentTestScores
https://tulsaworld.com/opinion/columnists/column-bury-zombie-education-idea-known-as-merit-pay/article_09b21460-a707-11ed-ad1d-7be7538aa597.html

TennesseeThree Quarters of City Students Failed New Third Grade Promotion Test
https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/education/tennessee-3rd-grade-retention-law-students-parents-teachers-memphis-shelby-county-schools-mscs-tests-testing-grades-third-elementary-standardized-901/522-2e4d3d1a-1ee6-44bd-98bf-d443c36fb1bd

Parents Organize Town Hall to Protest Third-GradeTestRetention Law
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/concerned-nashville-parents-organize-town-hall-to-oppose-third-grade-retention-law

TexasThe Future of Standardized Testing Is Up in the Air
https://theeagle.com/news/the-future-of-standardized-testing-in-high-schools-and-colleges-is-up-in-the-air/article_30a11750-a4d8-11ed-ae42-772f1abbd1bd.html
High Scoring Schools Join Campaign to Overhaul Testing and Accountability System
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/top-performing-schools-call-for-new-accountability-measures-other-than-staar-test/ar-AA17xv5L

Educators Meet with Legislators to Press for TestingReform
https://myrgv.com/local-news/2023/02/10/educators-legislators-gather-to-discuss-changes-to-state-testing/

UtahLawmakers May Remove Letter Grades from School Report Cards
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-lawmakers-might-purge-letter-grades-from-school-report-cards/ar-AA

University AdmissionsThe African American Studies Advanced Placement Debacle — DeSantis and the College Board Enable Each Other
https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-02-03-ap-african-american-studies-desantis-florida/
University Admissions A Welcome Revolt Against School Ranking Schemes
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/feb/04/outside-view-a-welcome-revolt-against-the-flawed-c/
University Admissions Medical Schools Boycott U.S. News Rankings Over Equity Concerns
https://www.wbez.org/stories/uchicago-other-med-schools-withdraw-from-rankings-system-over-equity-concerns/72a78423-df57-42ce-8588-884573537376
University Admissions “I’m First Guide to College” Provides Advice for First Generation Applicants
https://store.imfirst.org/products/im-first-guide-to-college

Bar Association Leaders Will Try Again to Eliminate LSAT Exam Requirement
https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/aba-will-try-yet-again-eliminate-lsat-rule-2023-02-17/

The Sooner We Understand that the College Board Is a Business, the Better
https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/02/college-board-ap-florida-curriculum.html
University Admissions Mishandling of Advanced Placement African American Studies Controversy Demonstrates College Board’s Unfitness
https://sdvoice.info/the-courting-of-conservative-funding-exposes-the-college-boards-unfitness/
Bid to End Law School AdmissionsTestRequirement Is Down But Not Out
https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/bid-end-law-schools-lsat-requirement-is-down-not-out-2023-02-08

Worth Watching Examining the Moral Injuries and Oppressive Impacts of High-Stakes Tests:  Feb. 8 Zoom Panel 
https://www.unitingtosaveourschools.org/events-1/examining-the-moral-injuries-and-oppressive-impacts-of-high-stakes-tests-dialogue-on-alternatives-and-actions

Private Equity Military Contracting Firm Purchases Standardized Exam Business
https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/private-equity