Author: FairTest

This week’s news stories — from a third of all U.S. states and around the world — shows the growing impact of grassroots organizing to replace high-stakes exams with better types of assessments. Policy-makers are clearly beginning to heed the “Less Testing, More Learning” message: NationalMajor Study Concludes: Don’t Use ACT/SAT as State High School […]

With annual school exam season underway in several states, the opt-out movement is rapidly accelerating. Here’s a new FairTest guide to why you can boycott standardized tests without fear of federal penalties:http://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fear California School Board Questions Bill Allowing ACT/SAT as State High School Testhttps://www.easyreadernews.com/rbusd-wary-standardized-test-bi/ Delaware Students Deserve More Than a Label Determined by Test Scoreshttps://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2018/03/02/chr… […]

With state testing season beginning in some states as soon as next week, FairTest is pleased to offer freshly updated, free fact sheets on how to opt-out. Please circulate widely! http://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fearhttp://www.fairtest.org/federal-law-and-regulations-opting-out-under-essahttp://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out NationalMost Candidates for Governor Seats Criticize Current Testing Policieshttps://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2018/02/21/what_would-be_governors_have_to_say_about_education_110518.html ArizonaStudents Can Choose From Menu of Tests to Meet High School Exam Requirementhttps://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona-education/2018/02/26/arizona-high-school-students-testing-options-azmerit-sat-act-ap-cambridge/373497002/ District of […]

Defenders of test-and-punish policies who claim that assessment reform is limited to progressive coastal states should read this week’s stories from places such as Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah. The push back against standardized exam overuse and misuse is truly an expanding nationwide movement. Florida Testing Doesn’t Effectively Measure Intelligence or Achievementhttp://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2018/02/14/opinion-testing-does… Georgia State Senate […]

The 2018 school testing season is already on the horizon. That means more local organizing against standardized exam overkill leading to heightened attention by policy-makers to assessment reform. As always, the more grassroots pressure, the better the prospects for meaningful change. NationalESSA Plans Show Uneven Progress Toward Better Assessment and Accountability https://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/STATE-ESSA-PLANS-REPORT-2018National Are States Really […]

With stories about assessment reform appearing in fully one-third of all U.S. states over just the past week, it is clear that the movement to eliminate standardized exam misuse and overuse continues to accelerate across the country. Alabama District Criticizes State’s School Report Cardhttp://whnt.com/2018/02/01/athens-city-schools-system-releases-statement… California Parents Applaud Multi-Measures School Performance “Dashboard”https://edsource.org/2018/despite-some-critical-feedback-p%E2%80%8Barent…California Federal Vision of School […]

for further information: Dr. Monty Neill (617) 477-9792 Lisa Guisbond (617) 959-2371 or Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 for immediate release Wednesday, February 7, 2018 STATES SHOW UNEVEN ASSESSMENT REFORM PROGRESS UNDER NEW U.S. EDUCATION LAW; STUDY OF INITIAL ESSA PLANS URGES BETTER USE OF FEDERAL “FLEXIBILITY” TO LEAVE TEST-CENTRIC PUBLIC SCHOOLING BEHIND A just-completed review […]

Week after week, news stories demonstrate the many ways test-driven schooling is failing students, families, educators and taxpayers. It’s no wonder, then, that the assessment reform movement continues to grow across the U.S. AlabamaParents Criticize System that Grades Schools Based on Single Test Scorehttp://whnt.com/2018/01/25/parent-thinks-state-grading-system-that-failed-three-huntsville-schools-needs-to-change/ DelawareState Law Bars Punishment for Opting Out of Testshttps://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/a-strong-reminder-for-delaware-schools-about-the-smarter-balanced-assessment-and-opt-out/ IllinoisTest Scores […]

The drumbeat of evidence documenting the damage to educational quality and equity from high-stakes exams is forcing policymakers to reconsider their commitment to testing overuse and misuse. Look for many more assessment reform victories as 2018 state legislative sessions move into high gear. NationalNAEP “Proficient” Level Set Too Highhttps://www.educationdive.com/news/report-says-naeps-proficiency-term-is-misleading/514842/ District of ColumbiaNo Evidence for Test-Driven […]

As the number of colleges and universities implementing ACT/SAT-optional admissions policies tops 1,000 (https://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/actsat-testoptional-list-tops-1000-colleges-univer), many more state policy makers are getting the message that standardized exams are not needed to assess the educational quality of K-12 students, teachers, or schools. NationalWhat’s Going On with Testing Audits Under ESSA?http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/01/answering_essa_questions_testing_audits.htmlNational Please ReadThe Testing Charadehttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/please-read-daniel-koretz-the-testing-charade_us_5a568cb5e4b088f20c39593c AlabamaTest Scores Paint […]