Author: FairTest

Not surprisingly, the huge, national college admissions scandal — with a major testing component — dominated this week’s education news. The fact that so many other stories about standardized exams also appeared attests to the power of parents, educators and activists in making assessment reform a powerful issue. Florida Students Get More Time for Test […]

Between expensive test prep, pricey advisors, unethical, and, in this case, downright illegal behavior, ACT and SAT scores are easily “gamed” by those with financial means. To reduce the unfair advantage that people with abundant resources have in our test-reliant admissions system, FairTest leads the national movement for test-optional admissions policies. Today more than 1,000 […]

Between expensive test prep, pricey advisors, unethical, and, in this case, downright illegal behavior, ACT and SAT scores are easily “gamed” by those with financial means. To reduce the unfair advantage that people with abundant resources have in our test-reliant admissions system, FairTest leads the national movement for test-optional admissions policies. Today more than 1,000 […]

The advent of public school testing season brings with it heightened grassroots pressure for meaningful assessment reform. From third-grade promotion exams to high school graduation tests to exam-score-based teacher evaluations, policymakers are responding to concerns from parents, students, educators and community leaders. National Consumer Guide to Testing Under Federal “Every Student Succeeds Act” https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/rd-assessment-guide National […]

Ever-growing numbers of Americans are coming to understand that decades of test-and-punish policies have failed to boost educational quality or enhance equity. Many states are getting the message and backing away from high-stakes exams, as this week’s news stories and commentaries demonstrate. Arizona Stop the Testing Lunacy https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2019/03/01/azmerit-wastes-time-and-money-someone-end-it/3020776002/ California New State Ed Board Chair Says […]

Each week there’s more evidence that parents, educators and students are fed up with testing overkill. Campaigns to replace standardized exam misuse and overuse with authentic assessments are succeeding in many locations. Send FairTest news of your victories to share with our more than 2,000 subscribers to these free updates. Remember that your friends and […]

Assessment reform stories from more than a third of all 50 states in just the past week demonstrate the breadth and depth of the movement to replace standardized exam overkill with better forms of assessment. FairTest staff stands ready to assist local activists with their campaigns — just contact us via email or phone. NationalHow […]

With Spring testing season on the horizon, parents and educators are mobilizing increasing pressure on policy makers to implement meaningful assessment reforms. Let FairTest know how we can help support your local campaigns. Connecticut Principal Accused of Test-Tampering Will Lose Teaching Certificate https://www.rep-am.com/local/news-local/2019/02/06/former-hopeville-principal-to-be-stripped-of-teaching-certificate/ Florida New Governor Vows to Investigate Teacher Licensing Test https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/fl-governor-vows-to-look-into-teacher-certification-issues-and-fix-testing-for-test-sake Florida Will […]

Progress on many elements of the assessment reform agenda is visible in this week’s news clips. Among the top priorities for 2019 and beyond: Cut back overall testing time and volume Terminate high school graduation and grade promotion tests Stop ranking schools with grades derived from test results End use of student test scores to […]

Anyone who thinks assessment reform campaigns (and victories) are confined to a few “liberal” states, should check out this week’s stories from places such as Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming. The movement to roll back standardized exam overuse and misuse is truly national, cutting across traditional partisan and ideological lines, and it is accelerating rapidly. Remember […]